Evening star., 1951-04-11

four months compulsory service
plus refreSher courses.
Second, the Dutch have a long,
honored and indeed glorious mari
time tradition. The navy has al
ways stood far ahead of the army
in public esteem. It is no use ar
|guing today that Holland doesn't
need a navy, now that there is
mo more East Indian colonial en-
|pire while the seas are amply con-
trolled by Hollands American and
British Allies. The idea of strength
at sea is bred into the Dutch bone.
This is a fact which no Dutch
government would dare disregard
Third. a glance at the map will
show you that most Of Holland
including the great cities such as
Amsterdam. Rotterdam and this
capital of The Hague are north
of the Rhine, and that no natural
barrier stands between this part
of Holland and Germany-through
which the new Soviet enemy may
come. It is true that an artificial
barrier can be created-by break
ing the dykes and inundating the
country. But for five years. the
Dutch have been painfully recov-
ering their land from the inunda-
tions of the last war-some caused
by themselves. some by their allies.
some In wanton fury by the Ger
mans.
Want No More foundations.
They want no more inundations
for whatever reason. Yet to the
practical Dutch mind it seems
quite conceivable that the Rus
slams might reach the Rhine. that
the French and Belgians might
with American and British help)
defend themselves behind that
river, while Holland might be
overrun nevertheless. Hence a
Dutch tendency toward
keeping Dutch military planning
keyed primarily to the defense OF
Holland rather than to the COM
mon defense. Put 1t another way
the Belgians, through bitter ex-
perience, have become convinced
tearn-players. The Dutch are still
team-players, a reluc-
tance reinforced by geography.
Fourth, Holland suffered far
more devastation during the last
war than did Belgium, her recovery
in consequence has been slower,
she has lost the Indonesian en-
pire on which much Of her former
prosperity was founded, she has
little heavy industry-there just
isn't as much money for military
expenditures as there Is In Bel
gium.
You have to take all these things
into account before you weigh the
present military fact that whereas
Belgium has an infantry division
in being. an armored division In
course of completion, and a second
infantry division which will short
ly by rs per cent complete. the
Dutch have no divisions at all and
have as yet placed no troops what
ever at Gen. EiSenhower'S disposal.
This harsh statement needs fur
bta,. e,,aI;@no $sa~a
Prefer Trained Reserves.
The Dutch are firmly welded to
the idea Of "mobilizable" rather
than Immediately ready forces.
That is. they prefer to have
trained reserves formed into units
around small cadres or profession
al officers, noncoms and special
lists. So far. they have organized
three regimental combat teams
(about 70 of division each) on
this basis. One has just finished
Its training and has been dismissed
to the reserves; a second Is about
to be called up for training: a
third will be called later this year.
In addition, six more regimental
combat teams (the equivalent.
more or less, Of two additional
divisions) are to be formed this
summer from veterans Of the In
donesian campaign who have re-
turned to Holland and passed into
the reserve. These men are tough,
well-seasoned soldiers saw some
Of them at the anti-aircraft train