The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1915. HOLLAND'S NEUTRALITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 59, 9 July 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1915. HOLLAND'S NEUTRALITY.

According to writers in English maga- 1 zines an uneasy feeling is growing in Holland that German naval and inili-' tary authorities are becoming satisfied that the neutrality of Holland has! served its purpose, so far as German I interests are concerned, and that the I Netherlands provide rather more anj obstruction to recently developed 1 German plans than an aid. Certainly Germany is in possession of Antwerp,, but the Dutch are nominally in con-, trol of the mouth of the Scheldt, and in addition hold the outlets of the.' !Mouse and the Rhine. It is argued that to bo properly able to carry out a live warfare against Britain by sea, Germany must be altle to use, the mouth of these livers as she may 1 ' wish. Past experience ought to have taught the Dutch, as it has taught nil the world, that Germany never ( respects any pledge or treaty one moment longer than it is to her advantage to do so, and it is therefore no wonder that the people; of the Netherlands feel uneasy aboutj the future. Another reason why Germany may break faith with Holland I at any moment is that Dutch Limbing stands between Westphalia and Belgium, and thus closes to Germany the lines of railway crossing the Meuse at Maastricht and Roermond the first of which gives direct access from Aix-la-Chapelle to Louvain, and the second from Gladbach to Antwerp. There are other important communications across the Meuse at the Dutch towns of Venlo, Gennep,. Mook and Nijmegen, and it would be of great advantage to Germany if she could move her legions straight west across Limburg, instead of having to send them southwards to skirt Limburg. lint it is certainly consoling to know that the Netherlands Government has not been asleep, and during the past nine months the army lias been fully mobilised and placed upon a very efficient footing. If Holland does depart from her neutrality it will certainly not he until she is assured that Germany can be brought low, unless the Huns force her hand by attempting to march through her territory. It is thought that Lord Kitchener's great reserve army now ready for the Held in Britain, may be •••', :-.;!-(! !'..:• sv.c!i emt-:-geucy.