Salt Lake Telegram | 1917-07-29 | Page 37 | Holland Could be Straw That Would Break Germany's Back

II Holland Co Could uld Be Be Straw S Th That at Would Break Germanys Germany's Back BackBy By Milton Bronner I Et I II 4 b BERLIN i I 1 0 II 1 c- c os CASSEL LEIPZIG r USEL c 0 o 0 or r a 0 0 41 t F DEIf l 1 f 1 I THE COUNTRY j PARr s l f HEART hART MT 10 IAU I ST lA BURG I J 1 German lines Jines on wester front threatened from rear 2 Air raids on Krupp plants at Essen and other centers less than twenty minutes' minutes airplane flight from Dutch border 3 Air raids on Kiel Kid canal less than one hours hour's flight from Dutch border 4 British navy using Holland as a base would menace and other submarine bases I I WASHINGTON July 28 I the immediate purpose of ot the food tood and necessities embargo to cut Germany Germany Ger Ger- many off oft absolutely from outside I Ger-I supply supply supply sup sup- ply and thus starve her and cripple her Industries lies the ultimate purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of ot forcing the neutrals into war on the allies allies' side At first thought Holland and Norway Norway Norway Nor Nor- way seem unimportant small countries with small armies all aU needed to repel German invasion But that is merely the superficial as as- The large al possibilities of ot these countries particularly Holland Hol Hol- land would make their entry of only slightly less consequence than that of the United States England France and the United States a well weIl known authority on military affairs tells me might well afford to give Holland a billion in cash guarantee unlimited munitions and back up her army array with a half million troops to secure Holland as a base for military naval and aerial operations operations operations opera opera- I against Germany Look at the map and see why Holland Holland Holland Hol Hol- land would be a lance point thrust into the very heart of ot Germany The heart of Germany is the Westphalia district the the Iron Country where Country where Germanys Germany's great plants are located Germany would face this terrible situation First her army anny would be threatened from the rear from the Belgian coast to Verdun her lines of ot communication would be in danger and there would be no safety in a retreat which stopped short of complete evacuation of ot Belgian and French soil Second Essen with the great Krupp plants Crefeld Barmen and other Important Important important Im im- Im- Im centers all less than forty miles from the Holland border would be within twenty minutes' minutes airplane airplane airplane air air- plane flight and subject to constant bombardment Third the Kiel Klel canal less than miles away would be subject to constant constant constant con con- stant destructive air raids Fourth the British navy nav using the Dutch coast as a base would seriously threaten and force the theU U boats U-boats to restrict their activities to the North sea and the te Atlantic Finally Germany would have a new set of ot lines line more than miles mile long to defend This would call cal for a million milon mil mi- mi lion lon German troops obtainable only by calling out the last reserves and weakening weakening weakening weak weak- ening the French and Russian fronts to the breaking point point There is of course danger that Holland Holland Holland Hol Hol- land forced into the war may go with Germany but the chances are so great she will wl side with wih the allies ales and the advantages are so enormous that the allies are more than justified in running running run- run ning the risk