622 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



southern part of Flanders, in which the 

 heaviest fighting of the year 1914 oc- 

 curred, greatly resembles the watery part 

 of the Netherlands. It is a region of low 

 pastures and high skies, ditches, rain, and 

 salt spray. The opening of the locks at 

 Nieuport flooded the land on both sides 

 of the Yser Canal. Behind this the re- 

 mains of the Belgian army were able to 

 withstand the first shock of the German 

 army marching for Calais. 



After almost two years of patience ana 

 ingenuity, the Germans have not ad- 

 vanced a single yard against this stagnant 

 lake, which is now the burying ground 

 of many thousand young and brave fel- 

 lows. The ordinary methods of war were 

 of no avail. Boats, floats, complicated 

 rafts have all been tried and have been 



given up as useless. The remaining part 

 of Belgium is safe behind this bulwark of 

 our faithful old ally, the North Sea. 



The people of the Netherlands know 

 that they will exist as an independent na- 

 tion just as long as they are able to take 

 care of themselves. For this purpose 

 they have made it the duty of every man 

 to give part of his time to the service of 

 his country. For this ideal they are will- 

 ing to sacrifice the better part of their 

 territory and to surrender it temporarily 

 to the waves rather than allow an occu- 

 pation by the force of an enemy. 



Because of their industry and fore- 

 sight in preparing themselves for the un- 

 expected, no hostile force has crossed the 

 frontiers of their tiny country during the 

 last one hundred years. 



Photograph by George R. King 

 A SCENE IN SIEUR DE MONTS NATIONAL MONUMENT, MT. DESERT ISLAND 



A wild sheet of water that fills the deep glacial gorge of Indian Pass and lies between the 



Gates of Eden 



