HOLLAND PREPARED

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 258, 13 November 1939, Page 3

HOLLAND PREPARED

FLOODING OF WATER DEFENCES MIDNIGHT CABINET MEETING ANXIETY OVER POSSIBLE PUSH THE HAGUE AHI RAID SHELTERS * ’ LONDON, Nov. 10. ' The Amsterdam correspondent of the News Jfcxclmiigo Agency says it is declared that Holland stands fully pre- \ pared to defend her neutrality. The flooding of Holland’s water line defences includes a wide area in the province of l tree-lit- and between the Maas and the Waal, forming the belt protecting Amsterdam. Rotterdam. T he Hague and the industrial areas.

A me.ssage from The Hague states that after a. special meeting of the Netherlands Cabinet-, which lasted from midday ; until 1 a.m., it was officially announced that, all army leave had been cancelled. Soldiers on leave have been ordered to return to their units immediately. Despite official assurances in Hoi-,

land', public anxiety is evident over a possible German thrust across Holland. The Dutch banks are removing their gold lo safety behind the Hood zone. Special guards were posted at the Ministerial offices at The Hague. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Ooliju, announced that lot) air raid shelters were prepared in The Hague alone. He appealed for 10,000 workers for the air-raid defence scheme. All Difficulties of Belligerent The Netherlands Foreign Minuter, M. Kleffens, issued a statement denying that Queen Wilhelmina of Holland and! King Leopold of Belgium discussed anything hut the peace appeal at their conference which concluded at The Hague in £he early hours of Tuesday morning. He regretted that the mediation offer had been interpreted abroad as a Belgo-Dutch manoeuvre. “We are experiencing all the difficulties of a belligerentdeclared M. Kleffens. “None of our ships Juts voluntarily submitted to the contraband control, hut the Straits of Calais are so narrow and .the danger from mines so great that it is impossible to keep out of reach of the British-pat-, rols Without violence. It is untrue to suggest that Holland is assisting Britain’s control measures. I trust nobody will violate our independence. We do not want to be instrument of the British measures against Germany, or vice versa.”