ARMING ALL ROUND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 7

ARMING ALL ROUND

♦ EUROPEAN ACTIVITY. WHY HOLLAND IS FORTIFYING. PRECAUTIONS IN' POLAND. By Telegraph.— Press Association. — Copyright. (Received January 28, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 27th January. The military correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette states that Germany's pressure on Holland to fortify the coasb is due to France's enormous strength on her eastern frontier. All the fortresses in Poland are being enlarged. Three hundred old Russian, generals are being replaced. The increase of German colonisation in Western Russia is forbidden. QUESTION OF THE SCHELDT. Writing on the 12th of last month, the Brussels correspondent of the Lonn don Telegraph said :—"I: — "I have it on good authority that the Belgian Foreign Otnce is, in a friendly tone, requesting information from the Dutch Foreign. Office as to the projected Flushing ' fortifications. The objeeb is not to question Holand's right to protect its rivor\ board against foreign attack, but tq ascertain the Dutch Government's intentions as to the use they mean to make of the Flushing forts on the approach of any foreign fleet aiming, not' at aD aggressive movement against) the Netherlands, but at reaching tho Lowen Scheldt to protect Belgium against) attack at Antwerp. The Belgian contention is that tr/a Scheldt is an international river, which Holland is debarred from closing in, such a case, not only by the principles of international law, but also by the terms of the treaty of 1839, guaranteeing) Belgium's neutrality and enforcing upon Great Britain and the four other Powers interested the duty of maintaining this state of things. Unless the Dutch Government agrees to this contention, and gives a solemn pledge to allow free, passage to farces entering the Scheldt for the defence of Belgium, the latter will probably propose to refer the matter to the Arbitration Court of tha Hague, meanwhile fortifying Zeebruggo to enable Great Britain to land forces there instead of at Antwerp, in case, of a German invasion of Belgium during a Franco-German war." Popular opinion in Europe is that th& defence of the Scheldt is intended to hamper Great. Britain and France in any attempt they may make by sea to, uphold the neutrality of the Low Coun-s' tries if threatened by any other Power..