DUTCH NEUTRALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1939, Page 5

DUTCH NEUTRALITY

STATEMENT BY OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN NO GROUNDS FOR UNDUE NERVOUSNESS. REPORTED ASSURANCES BY GERMANY. LONDON, November 11. The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says authorised sources reiterated the Government’s declaration that it would respect the neutrality of Holland and other nonbelligerent countries, provided they observed neutrality. That was Germany’s last word on the subject. A message from The Hague says that the German Minister acknowledged the peace appeal by Belgium and the Netherlands and promised careful examination. A Brussels correspondent says the German frontier is closed between Aachen and Eupen. Communication is maintained by detour. An official spokesman in Amsterdam declared that there were no grounds for undue nervousness. Holland was particularly anxious that her defence measures should not be interpreted as directed against any one belligerent. Inaccurate reports • published abroad created irritation. The nation was prepared to meet any situation. The Dutch Foreign Minister. Mr van Kieffens, issued a statement denying that King Leopold and Queen Wilhelmina discussed anything but the peace appeal. He expressed regret that the mediation offer was interpreted abroad as a Belgo-Dutch manoeuvre. “We are experiencing all the difficulties of a belligerent, and none of our ships has voluntarily submitted to contraband control,” he said, “but the straits of Calais are so narrow and the danger from mines is so great that it is impossible to keep out of reach of the British without violence. It is not true that Holland is assisting Britain’s control measures. I trust that nobody will violate our independence. We do not want to be the instrument of British measures against Germany, or vice versa. The Netherlands newspapers do not reflect any tension with Germany, and publish official German reassurances of good faith, a radio message states. They also publish denials from Berlin that there is any intention to violate the neutrality of either Holland or Belgium; also the German assurances that the troop concentrations near the border are merely manoeuvres of a technical and instructional nature without, any political character.