Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1940. MENACE TO LOW COUNTRIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 82, 17 January 1940, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1940. MENACE TO LOW COUNTRIES

The menace to the territorial integrity of Holland and Belgium, more serious now than that in November, arises from the same considerations that led Germany to tear up the scrap of paper” in 1914. Violation of their frontiers would mean that the Nazis would be able to threaten France from a point where the defences are not so strong as the Maginot Line. But the position to-day is not so favourable to an invader as was the case previously. For one thing the element of surprise would be lacking. The neutral countries have had recently several warnings as to the fate of defenceless nations, whereas prior to the Great War the Belgians felt themselves secure in the written undertaking of neutrality given by the Germans jn association with France and Britain. Sadly disillusioned and fearing a repetition of the outrage, Belgium has constructed a system of frontier defences, weaker than the Maginot Line, but far stronger than anything at her disposal in 1914. Further, the French have steadily fortified the Belgian frontier during the last three years. Holland also has improved her defences, the mainstay being a scheme for flooding the eastern areas through which an invading army must pass a line of fortifications guarding the approach to the higher land in the centre of the country. Discussing a possible German attack a writer in the latest issue of the Round Table” said: “It is most likely it would be through ‘northern Belgium by way of the so-called Limburg appendix of Holland. This would turn the Liege defences and be faced with no other serious obstacle except the Albert Canal from the Meuse to the Scheldt. The determination of the Belgian Government to remain neutral at all costs until actual invasion has taken place means that no French help could reach the frontier in time to meet a sudden attack. If the Belgian front then crashed, the German armotfred division might sweep in a few days over the whole of northern Belgium to Antwerp and Ostend. Even if the Franco-Bel-gian frontier held Germany would again be in a position to conduct air attacks on this country [Britain] from bases two hundred miles nearer and at a range which would allow of effective fighter escort to her bombers. ' The Belgian coalfields-and industries would once more be at her disposal and she might always hope that this time she misfit retain her hold up to the end and treat Belgihm as a useful hostage in settling the terms of peace.” The writer expresses the view that many of these considerations would apply to the more limited enterprise of seizing Holland alone, trusting to Belgian neutrality to cover the flank of the invasion. The Dutch estuaries, indeed, would offer much-better facilities for submarine operations than Ostend or Zeebrugge. The world does not expect from the Nazi regime any consideration of delicate questions of international morality and if invasion of the Low Countries is part of their plan for an offensive war the present deterent will be that of impracticability in winter time.