NEUTRAL STATES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11947, 5 March 1917, Page 2

NEUTRAL STATES.

GERMANY AND HOLLAND.

THE ENEMY'S SCHEMES. Atwtrfclian and N.Z. C*bl« AgaooUtioa, (Received March 4, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, March 3. "Le Temps" throws fresh light on the Germans' provocative policy regarding Holland. Tho newspaper says that Germany merely resumes the policy begun early in the war with a view" to over-running her similarly to Belgium. The policy failed, but, Germany is now casting covetous eyes on Holland's food and gold, and this explains the. fresh provocations, especially the seven recent submarining;*. Jteutei's Tels<jTaniß. LONDON. March 3. Lieutenant Puaux, ex-foreign editor of ''k Temps," now on the staff of General Foch, gives extraordinary revelations of the Gorman schemes for tho invasion of Holland. He states that on August 2, 1014, Germauy informed Britnin that eighty French officers disguised &s Prussians, attempted to cross the Dutch-German frontier in a motor-car. This was fabricated in order to justify German violation of Holland's neutrality on the ground that Holland was an accomplice in an imstpcinary raid. The plan for the invasion of Holland was abandoned then because Germany soon had her hands full in Belgium, and had too few submarines to prevent Britain assisting Holland. Subsequently Germany circulated in Holland a rumour of :in impending Br.iti.sh- landing, and concentrated troops on the Dutch frontier ,_ ostensibly to meet this manoeuvre. This also failed, as Holland was convinced that the Allies did not threaten her neutrality. Bo Germany now is attempting to goad Holland into war with a view to seizing Dutch foodstuffs, millions in gold in the Dutch banks, and the Dutch coast, in order to provide new submarine bases, in the event of Zeebrugge becoming untenable.