Evening star., 1940-01-15
Neutral Uneosiness

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Defense measures taken by Bel
gium and the Netherlands in the past
forty-eight hours amid reports that
Germany is concentrating troops on
their borders turns expectations of
western front action to the Low
Countries and, for the moment, away
from the German-French frontier
and the shadowboxing prevailing
there since September.
The activity Of the little neutrals
comes as somewhat of surprise, for
tension in their sector has been rela-
lively light since the scare of last
November, although all fears of a
German strike toward the North Sea
ports had not entirely disappeared.
Withdrawal of German forces from
the Dutch frontier last fall and re-
peated assertions by the Reich gov
ernment that it intended to respect
the neutrality Of the small countries
had served to calm them to the ex-
tent that they reduced their border
forces and of1icially reassured their
people that there was no immediate
reason for anxiety.
On what the Belgian and Neither
lands governments base their ac-
tions-which bring a force of about
a million men into line facing Ger
many-is not yet clear, but obviously
1t is upon information of German
intentions. Evidence that Germany
has been photographing Belgian in
dustrial and Notifications areas was
obtained from German plane
forced down on Belgian territory.
The factors which might motivate
a German drive through the Low
Countries have altered to some de-
gree since the scare Of last November.
At that time the Russo Finnish war
had not yet begun and the disad-
vantages of violating the neutrality
OF Belgium and the Netherlands
seemed to outweigh the advantages,
mainly because it would give the
allies an extended front against
which to strike at the Reich and
offered them a path into Northwest
Germany unimpeded by the Siegfried
Line.
Now, however, other issues are at
stake, chief of them being the
steadily growing allied and neutral
military aid that is flowing to Fin
land in response to the Helsinki
governments appeal to the League
of Nations last month and the reso-
luton there adopted urging men,
bers and non-members to render
what assistance they could to the
beleaguered northern country.
A large volume of this assistance
is flowing through France and
thence by way Of the Low Countries
and Scandinavia to Finland. II Ger
manys fears of allied participation
in the Russo Finish war are gen.
uine-and the Reichs warnings to
Sweden and Norway not to permit
allied bases to be established on their
territory seem to indicate that they
are-an advance through the Low
Countries would seem to be a logical
move.
Germany faces the prospect Of
having to tight the war on an en-
tirely new front If, in spite of their
neutral positions, Sweden and Nor
way should be forced into the Fin
nish war and the allies, with the
path open for striking at Germany
from a new direction, should center
their attention on Russia and finally
achieve fighting position on the
Baltic.
In. spite of its drawbacks from q
strictly strategic point of view, the
invasion Of the Low Countries would
tend to keep the war confined to one
front and by restricting the assist
ance that is going to Finland en-
nance Russia's chances of defeating
the Finns in the spring.