Evening star., 1939-09-24
Sea, Long the Foe
Of Dutch, Be|gians,
May Be Their Ally
Little Countries Ready
To Cut Dikes If
Germans Advance
By the Associated Press.


BY the Associated Press.
AMSTERDAM, Sept. 23.-The sea,
public enemy No. to the Neither
lands for centuries, was being held
in reserve tonight as one of the first
line defenses of this neutral nation
and to a lesser extent Of her mobil-
lied neighbor, Belgium.
The Netherlands and Belgium,
while voicing the utmost hope of
keeping out Of the war and warily
pursuing course Of strict neutrality,
nevertheless have mobilized all their
resources against any possible at
tempt by the belligerents to turn
these small nations into a battle
ground.
Armies have been modified to
back up the self-defense policies of
both countries and highly essen
tial part Of the plans is the flooding
of large areas lying below sea level
in case of invasion from any direc-
ton. However, it was stressed off,
cially that no opening of dikes has
taken place and the inundation
would be carried out only in case
of extreme danger.
In Brussels, Belgian defense ON
cials said opening of the Albert
Canal dikes to flood an area of Bel
GUM as a protection for Antwerp
would not be justified at present.
Netherlands Has Made Test.
In the Netherlands, with one
fourth of its area under sea level
and protected by /, 500 miles of dikes,
there has been one test Of inunda-
ton possibilities.
A small area of reclaimed land in
Utrecht Province, IS miles southeast
of Amsterdam, was flooded as engi-
neers considered the water level IA
vorable for the experiment.
While the possibility of being in
volved in the war is not overlooked
informed sources said that despite
several incidents of neutrality vio-
lation by the belligerents, the Meth
erlands and Belgium expected their
frontiers to be respected and were
not alarmed by troop concentrations
along their borders.
One source close to the Neither
lands government said his country
| and Belgium had no fear of attack
and that observation had shown the
German forces being concentrated
along the border merely were taking
up defense positions. In Berlin last
Thursday Nazi Propaganda Minister
Paul Joseph Goebbels said Ger
many had no intention of violating
the neutrality of Belgium, the Meth
erlands or Luxembourg.
Dutch Resources Great.
The Netherlands, which ha,
fought back the sea for centuries
and which continues to reclaim land
by draining the northeastern part
of the Zuyder Zee. could turn water
into a powerful defense weapon
A dixie between the Zuyder Zee and
the North Sea is heavily guarded
by troops and the water of the
Zuyder Zee would be used in execut-
ing a defense inundation.
A major inundation in the case OF
invasion would flood a strip two or
three miles wide from the north to
the south through the center OF
the Netherlands, roughly on a line
from the Zuyder Zee through
Amersfoort, Wagingen, Hertogens-
bosch and thence south to the Bel
gian border.
Also, bridges across wide tidal
rivers and arms of the sea could be
blown up to stem the enemy ad-
vance. The policy. as described in
informed sources, would be to es-
tablish flood belt around the rich
population and industrial centers o1
western Netherlands, including Am.
sterdam, Utrecht, The Hague anc
Rotterdam.
Likewise, If an invasion is at.
tempted from the west, the flooded
strip through the center of thu
country would form a barrier behinc
which the Netherlands forces coulc
| retreat