Defence of Holland

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 70, 12 August 1914, Page 6

Defence of Holland

NEW FACTOR 1-\ T THE WAR. j INLET FOR FOOD LOST TO GERMANY Now that Holland lias declared war on Germany, a moat important source from which food supplies could be drawn, has been lost to the Germans. If Holland remained neutral, it would be possible for the merchants of another neutral state, such as the United States, to carry on a highly-prolitable trade in food-stuffs to be landed in Holland and railed through to Germany. This trade could only have been stopped by declaring food-stuffs as contraband, and it is only' customary to declare contraband such foodstuffs as are known to be destined for the use of an enemy's forces. Now, however, all the trade in foodstuffs between Holland and Germany will cease and with all Germans capable of bearing arms in the field, and outside food supplies cut off from every source except Scandinavia, Switzerland and Italy, Germany's position is not a promising one. The Netherlands (Holland) are bordered on the south by Belgium and on the east by Germany. On the foraiei side, the country is quite level, on tno latter more hilly. The land frontier is open all round. The frontiers are defended by few fortresses. The scheme of defence adopted in 1874 contemplates the concentration of the defensive forces in a restricted area, known as the "Holland fortress." This comprises the provinces of north and, south Holland, with parts of Zealand and Utrecht. Two-thirds of the area is surrounded by the sea. On the other side, to the. east and south, are lines of more or less permanent works, which can' be rendered very difficult of attack by inundations. There are also strong works on the coast, notably the Helder group, barring access to the Zuyder Zee, and the Ho'ilandbch Diep and Volkerak position, while the entrances to the Amsterdam and Rotterdam ship canals are defended l>y powerful forts. The, citadel of the whole is Amsterdam, which is well fortified. Here also 'inundations would almost preclude a suceessiul attack. Apart from the Holland Fortress, are the works on the Wester Sehelde. They are to be augmented by entirely new works at Flushing. • The field army of tile Netherlands |' consists of four divisions and an inde-

' pendent cavalry brigade. A division con tains three brigades) of infantry, a field artillery regiment, (12 three-gun batteries, 3(l*guns), a company of cyclists, S machine guns, and a company of engineers. The cavalry brigade has four regiments, and 4 3-gun batteries of horse artillery. There are also 57 fortress artillery companies, organised as battalions, of a strength adequate to the particular fortress garrisoned. The landweer troop 3 (militiamen having fulfilled active service), with the fortress artillery of the .active army, would hold the fortresses. The total strength of the field army is approximately 125,000 men, with 152 guns. The Netherlands infaxftry is armed with the Mannliclier magazine rifle, the cavalry and engineers with the Mannliclier carbine, the field artillery with a shielded Q.F. Krupp

gun of 7.5' c.m. The navy comprises ten battleships, (from 3520 tons to 7fioo tons displacement), four cruisers, a small river monitor, eight destroyers, 47 torpedo boats, 6 submarines, and a number of gunboats. The. Navy is officered by three viceadmirals, four rear-admirals, 29 captains, 30 commanders, 580 lieutenants, and midshipmen (besides engineers and surgeon's), and about 8500 seamen. The. marine infantry consists of about 40 officers and about 2600 non-commission-ed officers and privates.