The Times of Tuesday published from its special come. spondent
at the Hague a most interesting account of the plans for draining the Snider Zee. By this draining eight hundred and fifteen square miles of land will be reclaimed, and the remaining five hundred and fifty-seven square miles will be converted into a fresh-water lake. The lake, which will be protected from the inflowing waters of the North Sea by a great dam eighteen miles long,- wilt provide a reservoir of fresh water and will sweeten the water in all the canals. At present Holland atiffem from almost universal brackish water. The sea fisheries of the Solder Zee will be decroyed, but the Government are providing in their Bill for the compensation of the fishermen, who are expected to buy
new vessels and take to fishing in the North Sea. No doubt this reclamation is urgently needed, yet we who are not personally affected by Dutch land-hunger cannot help selfishly regretting the passing of those scenes which seemed not to have changed much since the days of Vandevelde.
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