HOLLAND READY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 713, 17 October 1914, Page 3

HOLLAND READY.

HER ARMED NEUTRALITY. THE DEFENCE BY WATER. A visit just made across the frontier into Belgium enabled rae to see the preparations made by Holland to prevent any violation of her neutrality, writes the correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph from Rotterdam. In view of the movement of French trocps into Belgium it Wt»9 thought possible that German troops might he driven into Holland acrosß the frontier to the north of Namur and Brussels. I accordingly visited the froptier in this locality. In the immediate neigbourhood of the frontier I saw no Belgian troops. The Dutch, on the other hand, were prepared for the incursion. I saw large forces of infantry holding the roads, and also numerous barbed wire entanglements and barriades. Detachments of cavalry are constantly pat rolling the frontier. It is absolutely necessary to hold the roads in force, as Holland, unlike other countries, it is impossible to take artillery across open fields, as the ground is far too wet and soft, much of Holland being below the level of the sea canals and rivers. In towns near the frontier large numbers of troops are congregated. The probabla lines of invasion are commanded by puwerful forts, I have had an opportunity of visiting sdine cf these fortifications, which are strong and modern. Some distance from tha forts are guns well concealed. In addition to this there are arrangements for flooding the country if tha enemy come in irresistible numbers. As already stated much of Holland is below sea level, the water being kept out by dykes. These dykss are penetrated by locks as on the English canals and rivers. It is impossible tto open the lock gates against the force of water. Bnd if only the sluiceß were opened this would not flood the country sufficiently to check the onrush of the invader. I observed an ingenious device adopted to overcome this difficulty. Inside the lock gates wooden Carriers hava been erected, and the Bluiees being opened, ths whole force of water is on the wooden barrier. It is then possible to open the lock gates. As a matter of fact, practically all the lock gates are now open, and nothing but the wooden barriers are holding back tha water. ® Tha barriers are so constructed that they can be demolished instantly. The water lines are connected with beadquarters by telephone. Roadways are ofteu built up on the dykes so as to avoid winter floods. I further found that these roads in tfcp neighbourhood of the forts had seen almost cut through, so that in "stead of a broad road there is only a narrow path some eighteen inches wide. This renders it impossible to convey troops and guns along these roads. It is also impossible to repair the roads, as the places where they are cut are covered by guns. Trees are cut down to the ground in the neighbourhood of the forts to prevent the enemy approaching under cover. Whole orchards have been swept away. Of houses in the line of fire of the guns only the bare walls remain. These are left to avoid unnecessary destruction, but the moment Holland is involved these will bs dynamited. Wooden outhouses have alreidy been destroyed. The general appearance is one of desolation. On the river I saw barges laden with guns and ammunition, and also pontoon bridges, built in Bsctions, ready to be conveyed wherever necessary.