The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-13
HOLLAND
DUTCH WITHDRAW
BEFORE GERMANS
CONTINUED From Page One)

(kk4NA
created a water shortage, po-
lice and troops rounded uI
many hundreds of persons in
an overnight search which
covered every street and
building in this city of $780,
600.
The chancellery Of the
American legation in the
Hague was struck by nine
bullets during street fighting
yesterday when Dutch troops
overpowered Germans snip
ing at them from houses.
The Dutch declared the
main part of Rotterdam is in
their hands after fierce fight
ing with German forces and
'sfifth columns" and that
Dutch troops had recaptured
the Mas river bridge, which
German troops seized Friday
after landing in seaplanes
and parachutes.
Destructive fires W c h
swept large sections of Rot
terdam were extinguished.
No Bombings
Although there we're 10 air raid
alarms in Amsterdam up to 6 p. m,
there We're no bombings. However,
firing broke out in several sections
as soldiers searched houses for par
achute troops or fifth columnists."
Hundreds of persons were seized
in Amsterdam. and the high COM
mand announced that every house
from which shots are fired will be
smashed to pieces with shells.
Last night and again today, every
one on Amsterdam streets was stop
ped. During one parachute troop
alarm, no civilians were permitted
in the open for hours while a search
was made.
It was reported that Germans, dis
guised in the flowing black robes
and flat hats of Dutch clergymen,
had entered Amsterdam in a car.
During the morning officials were
silent or the military situation in
the east, where the Germans r
fications and sloshing into the first
line of flood water defenses.
"a German communique claimed
the invaders had passed the Grebbe
line in east central Holland, between
Amersfoort and Rhenen, and had
overrun the u~ndefendable northeast
province of Groningen, shooting a
spearhead to the Zuider Zee, near
the great dam which connects north
west and northeast Holland.)
However, 1000 British troops
We're reported to have landed by this
morning to reinforce the Dutch
central defenses, and French motor
lied troops already are in the coun-
try to bolster The Netherlands army
of about 400, 900.
Saturday of Havoc
In The Hague, things were quiet
after a Saturday Of havoc from
%traitorous German-Hollanders who
first tried and failed to seize a po-
lice station, sniped from housetops
at Dutch soldiers and then tried to
march to the center of the city.
The way the Dutch smashed this
putsch is best told in the words of
a Saturday midnight communique:
Some Germans living in The
Hague tried today to advance to
the center of the city, starting from
a house in the Suez Kade, dover
bank of the Afvoer canal in the
southern part of the city,. A detach-
ment of Dutch troops drove them
back to the Suez Kade, where they
lodged themselves again in the
house aforementioned.
Zone of u armored cars shelled
this house after which the Germans
who were not killed surrendered.
"The commander-in-chief of the
army and navy has announced that
the same measures will be taken
against every house from which
shots are fired against the Dutch
people"
At Rotterdam, where heavy fight
ing has been going on in the streets
since German troops were landed by
seaplane and parachute early Fri
day, the situation was clouded by
the lack of direct communication.
But the Dutch, with the help of the
British royal air force, especially in
bombing Waalhaven airdrome south
of the city, seemed to think they had
things in hand.
The nation called to the colors ad-
ditional civil guards-older army
classes subject to duty only in war
time.
With seven air raid alarms be.
tween 3:45 a. m. and 1 D.. m OOPS
p. m. Saturday E. S. T. to TAO
a. m. Sunday E.S.T.l, the radio
warned the people not to depend on
the sirens, because the system had
been sabotaged.
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