Tuesday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
January 16, 1940.
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Hongkong Telegraph.
Tuesday, January 16, 1940.
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Telephone: 20615
Til: prex "Special to the Telegraph"
WILL HITLER ATTACK
THE
LOWLANDS?
N unknown number of German'
divisions
are now massed along the Dutch and Belgian frontiers.
Scores of Nazi bombers are stand- ing by on the frontier aerodromes and the tension has been increased by the imposition of a strict military censorship between Germany and che Low Countries.
What does it all mean? Is Hitler plan- ning a Blitzkrieg through Holland or Belgium-or both-with the dual object of >utflanking the Maginot Line and of establishing air and submarine bases on the Channel ports from which to launch his attack on Britain?
Such, in brief, is the strategy of the Von Epp plan, long toyed with by the German General Staff. But its chances of success ire today small.
From the German point of view full success depends on a surprise attack of such force as to crush all opposition and enable German motorised columns swiftly
o overrun the Low Countries.
But today surprise is impossible. From
the French border to the Zuider Zee is a
If aned by the Elangkong Telegraph to chain of fortifications manned day and
indicate news which lo aletly
under the provisions of the Telecommuntlight. by Belgian and Dutch troops.
CAL.ons Ordinance, 1934 Buch news bears the indication "EN" is received in Hongkong on the date of publication by the United Press Associations, who c serve a right and forbi republication
arratigement.
Hongkong's Flora
By comparison with the sunken moun- tains of steel and concrete which are the
either wholly or to part without previous Maginot and Siegfried Lines, the defences of the Low Countries are modest-pill- Doxes and casemates, mined roads and Dutch General Staffs believe that their de- bridges. Neither the Belgian nor the fences are impregnable. They are merely designed to hold up
The despoiling of the Colony's flora by countless gangs of fire- wood thieves has gained such alarming proportions, that capably organised campaign in order to suppress the evil, is urgently needed.
#
there are many of them, pivot Belgium's defence lines, and
on the great and modernised fortress of Liege. Standing in the trough of the Meuse, along which all the Germanic in- vasions of history have come, of forts at a distance of six and· Liegs comprises double ring twelve miles respectively from the city. A continuous line of anti-tank defences and wire en- tanglements girdles the city rounded by and each individual fort is sur deep anti-tank moats. Pill-boxes disguised as cottages and outhouses form the outposts.
German attack until help reaches them from the Allies.
Such help would certainly come, fon. Pitt's words that hostile Power in occupation of the ports of the Low Countries It does not matter which dis-is a pistol pointed at the heart trict is considered, wherever of England" are as true today trees and shrubs grow, these as they were in the Napoleonic gangs of marauders are to be wars.... seen, day in and day out. Those stronger than those of Holland The defences of Belgium are who enjoy the Colony's country- and ten times as strong, accord- side are horrified at the ruthlessing to King Leopold, as they damage which has been done. were in 1914, when the German Where once existed shaded onslaught caught Belgium nup-. forestry paths winding along the ping hillsides and through restful valleys, one now gazes upon ugly barren vistas, acre upon ucre. Surely something can be done even at this late juncture?
Old residents who take a pride in the Colony point out to the newcomer that when Britain began development the hillsides were bare, and that the present beauty is the result of an early afforestation policy which has had the effect of transforming the barren nature then existing, to the pleasantly wooded Colony. It is estimated that on the island alone, several thousand people are engaged daily in this nefarious practice. There is no doubt that many of them are taking advantage of the high price of firewood, and find it a lucrative business in supplying firewood merchants from the hills and dales of the Colony.
Every firewood merchant should be licenced, and called
If the Germans strike from upon at any time to reveal the the east, the Belgians will fight source of supply. The gangs on another fortifled line which themselves should be dealt with radiates south from Liege. the Germans break as sternly as is any other class Should of thief, for unless effective through that line they would measures are takon Immediately,
Neutrality
EN ORT H
GREA
"
JEINDHOVEN
THÀNH
Gient
BRUSSELS
M
Mons
Kamu
Miles
THE LOWLANDS
Both Belgium and Holland are neutral States in this war. Dutch neutrality is not internationally guaranteed like that of Switzerland. Holland is free to act as she thinks fit. No Power has the right to come automatically to her assistance.
The Belgian position is different. She had, till 1936, a military agreement with France. But France and Britain still guarance her neutrality. There are, at present no military agreements between Holland and Belgium,
Both Powers are signatories of the Oslo Convention, together with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Luxembourg, for the joint discussion of economic problems. History
Belgium acceded from the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Holland) after a revolution in August, 1830. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg was elected King 1831, Succeeded by Leopold II. (1845-1900), Albert (1909-1034) and Leopold III. Belgian independence recognised by all States-of-Europe-at-Treaty of London, 1939."
Language
There is no Belgian language. Northern half of Belgium is Flemish (Low Dutch) speaking, southern half is French speaking. This section of the population is called Walloon.
Unit 1014-18 war Freitch was official language. But in German vecupled territory Flemish aspirations were encouraged.
Since that war the Flemings have gained ground. Flemings are mostly farmers with high birthrate, Walloons mostly industrial workers with low birthrate. Flemings would now prefer reunion with Holland. Walloons look to France. But Holland prefers Belgium to remain an independent buyer State.
Dofence
Belgian Army is 800,000 war strength, Dutch is 250,000. Holland's Arst line of defence is behind the Rivers Yssel and Maas (sec map). Beyond this, protecting Amsterdam and Rotterdam, is a 25-mile-wide band of floodable country.
Belplum's first tue of defence on the north is behind the fortified Albert Canal between Antwerp and Maastricht. To the south-east the first line is formed by the forts round. Liege and the hilly country of the Ardennes. Behind lies the strong line of forts on the left bank. of the Meuse.
All the
If the Germans break through ************................................................................................. along the new Holland, Belgium will. fight is planned as a strategle trap. trenches linking the forts and
Albert Canal Belgium's army of 600,000, pill-boxes. which Biretches along her mobilised within four days of northern frontier eastward to the outbreak of war, is now roads, bridges and dykes of As in Belgium, all the frontier Antwerp and is well fortified, completing the digging of Holland are mined. Where the Albert Canal meets the Meuse is the new Eben cliff face with guns command- Emael fort, cut into the solid ing the spot where the Germans. crossed in 1914.
RM
frontier pill-boxes are manned. the Dutch army stands guard.
on.
Should the Germans strike, the Dulch will make their main. stand along the Rivers: Mans and Yssel, which flow parallel to the frontier.
If forced to retreat, the Dutch will call on their oldest ally the sea-and flood a 25- mile-wide belt of country stretching from the Zuider Zee round Utrecht to the River Waal and the North Sea.
The hope is that Hitler's chariots will be caught in these waters to become a target for British bombers. But if the Germans ever get as far as this into Holland, it will leave them free to wheel southward against Belgium along three main roads -from Nijmegen to Breda, from Venlo to Turnhout, and from Venlo to Maastricht.
One possibility is that Ger- many may be content with attacking Holland, in which case Belgium might still remain neutral,
In face of roverses, or the continued stalemato on the Western Front, Hitler may be. tempted to try to repeat the great flanking movement through neutrality which 80 nearly succeeded for Germany in 1914,
S. E.
The ex-Kaiser may
have to move
WHILE find themselves in the Ardennes,
Holland alanda by
to open the flood-gates to
a vast salient of country which let loose a 30-miles tidal wave
1 have just
the damage will become irrepar- is backed by the River Meuse,; able.
whose cliffs form a magnificent as a barrier against invasion of There is some sympathy for line of defence.
her lowlands, the ex-Kaiser the beggars who collect a few The whole of this vast salient] having to move house in case considers the possibility of bundles of dry sticks, but is time that residents who have his countrymen should cross Rentiment cannot be tolerated the interest of the Colony at the frontier. when it means the gradual dis- heart, should make the strongest figuration of the appearance of possible representations the Colony, The Botanical and Government in order to save the Forestry Department
Colony from the wholesale wood should collaborate with the Police in general. It is so widespread, in thieving which has become so stamping out this scandal, other fact, that a few constables wise we might just as well save scattered about on normal duty the money which is spent in are almost powerless to, cope planting trees and shrubs. There with the problem. A Forestry la no excuse whatever for the Proservation Corps appears to be existing state of affairs, and it I needed.
to made lightning tour of the prea which would be flooded event
in the
In the of trouble.
midst of la the Castle of Doorn, sanctuary of the 80-years-old Kalaer.
that area
Only last June the residents
of Doorn gave the ex-Kaiser ǹ summer-house. Hero he is drinking their health at the presentation.
The Dutch authorities smlied when they beard that this white-haired old man who led his people to war 25 years ago was now busy building underground alr-rald shelters.
despatched
They immediately courier Inviting him to take up re- sidence at the flague should Invasion seem imminent.
It i
is a tremendous scheme that Holland has embarked upon to pro- tect her country.
To-night, at key points of the elaborate system of dykts, canals. and waterways memorials of hier ceaseless fight with the sco-enti- nela siond walling with
wrenches, crowbars, and slicks of dynamite for n broadenst word which would em power them to send a vast tidal wave water from the North Sea to the higher elevatlens of the
of
frontier.
Belgian
The wave would sweep over. felds and meadows, pour through villages, and Isolalo ancient towns, auch Utrecht, where I am writing messago,
When the
Ax
this
wave reached the
Belgian frontler, other commands
PLEASE Tum To Page 9.