The controversy between Germany and Holland regarding the transport of
sand, gravel, and broken stone has been settled by Holland giving in, influenced, no doubt, by the thinly veiled threats of recent weeks. The transport of these materials, so useful for " pill-boxes " and emplacements as well are road repair, is to be resumed, and the quantity reduced to 1,600,000 tons a year. The Dutch Government have abandoned their demand for control of the material in Belgium ; and "the German Government will give a declaration that the stuff is not for military works." Ger- many is always ready to give declarations in abundance ; and we know what they are worth. Her " concession " to Holland is that no war material is to be carried on the Limburg Railway. Holland will herself send into Belgium 250,000 tons of gravel a month. In .fine, Germany has got all she wanted, while the Allies have got the Dutch ships.
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