Evening star., 1940-05-15
Dutch in iceland
Hold Out Against
Nazi Occupation
Rest of NetherIunders
Lay Down Arms on
WinkeImun's Order
BY the Associated Press.

-
BY the Associated Press.
AMSTERDAM, May 49, The
Netherlands opened the way today
for unopposed German occupation
of all but one of her II provinces.
Under orders from Gen. Menri
Gerard Winkelman, the commander
in chief, the Dutch last night laid
down their arms everywhere but in
iceland, low-lying island province
in the southwest which has, in the
port of Vlissingen Flushing), one of
the main points of sea traffic with
England
There was nothing else the Dutch
could do after five days of stubborn
but foredoomed defense. So the sur
render was ordered by the 64-year-
old commander, highest government
representative since the flight OF
the Queen and the government to
England two days ago.
Army Unequal to Task.
The Netherlands Army was un-
equal to the task Of fighting of
Germany's high-geared. up-to-the-
minute war machine. Her air force
was not strong enough to give the
troops effective aid. Her defenses
had been pierced and outflanked by
the lightning German columns. Rot
terdam and Utrecht, two of her four
largest cities, were in imminent
danger of complete destruction.
In view of those circumstances anc
in the hope of saving "at least 9
small part Of our beautiful country
and preventing further bloodshed
Gen. Winkelman ordered his force:
to cease firing, and commanded the
troops and the people to cooperate
in the preservation of order unit
the arrival of the German regular
troops"
Reuters, British news agency,
intercepted radio message on
the wavelength of the Neither
lands Hilversum station today
from the German consul general
in Amsterdam to the Foreign
Office in Berlin.
(The message said German
troops would mot encounter any
difficulties when entering Amster-
dam," that the population would
be calm" and that the German
forces would be met on the out
skirts of the city by "a repre-
sentative Of the commander Of
the Amsterdam garrison and a
representative Of the Lord Mayor
of Amsterdam, as well as the
German consul general or a
representative of him.
Explains Decision.
In a broadcast explaining his de
cision, Gen. Winkelman told tn
people:
1T could not be otherwise
Our soldiers did their best. The,
held on bravely and fought agains
an overwhelming enemy. But the,
were not equal to modern weapons
mot only the soldiers but evel
the civil population has sufferet
enormously. Rotterdam was bombe,
and destroyed. =" Utrecht ha,
the same fate. Thus we were com
PEELED to lay down our arms
"Our towns have been bombarded
our women and children have beel
bombed, and the German air fore
took a toll of thousands Of victims
Military and non-military objective
we're bombed ..
II, the commander in chief, CAV
the order to cease firing in order II
spare further bloodshed and com
plete destruction of the country. A
least small part Of our beautifu
country will be saved :. Yo1
can understand how hard 1t was TO
me to decide as I did"
| Proclamation by Queen.
From London Queen Wiihelmin'
sent proclamation that "the Meth
erlands will one day, with the hell
Of God, rewin its whole European
territory"
But today all but q small segmen
Of those 12,700 square miles Of terri
tory was In the hands Of the In
vaders, who merely were delayet
briefly in their advance by the Hood
water defenses with which the Meth
erlands had hoped to guard tn
rough rectangle inclosing the citie
Of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Tn
Hague and Utrecht.
The German armored column tina
had smashed through the southern
defenses already was in Rotterdam
and the seaport was being subjecte'
to aerial bombardment that se
large sections of the city afire.
Utrecht, Amsterdam and tn
Hague were the targets Of othe
marching columns.
Il With the Netherlands homelan'
now under German domination
. Queen Wilhelmina and her govern
} ment In London will continue to rul
J over Hollands overseas possession
about 10000 square miles inhab
ited by more than 10000, 900 per