Precautions in Holland
Holland is taking no chances, and after the stern measures she has already adopted to deal with enemies within, has now for the fourth time since the outbreak of war cancelled all leave for the army, and has also taken other precautionary measures, such as closing the mouths of the Meuse and Rhine to shipping, and restricting railway traffic and international tele- phone calls. This action follows a crop of rumours about German troop movements, which may or may not have sub- stance in them, and may have been put about by German propa- ganda to create doubts about German intentions. The Dutch, like other small European neutrals, were of course gravely alarmed by the invasion of Norway and Denmark, and feel that the British withdrawal from central Norway sets the Germans free for aggressive action elsewhere. Moreover, if Italy should come into the war they regard it as likely enough that Germany would attempt to turn the northern flank of the Allied front in France by attacks in the Low Countries. Even without Italy such an attack may be made Though the Dutch are getting accustomed by this time to repeated alarums and excursim)s the Government cannot afford to relax its vigilance.
