KIEL CANAL. The Kiel canal connects the North sea and the Baltic. The sluices at the entrances at Holtenau (the harbour of Kiel) and Brunsbiittekoog (mouth of the Elbe) are 1,082.6ft. long, 147ft. wide and 45.9ft. high. The canal is 53.3 nautical m. long and 37.07ft. deep. Vessels are admitted on it which do not exceed the following dimensions: depth 29.7ft., width 131.2ft., length 1,033.5ft., height of masts over the water line 131.2 feet. Steam and motor propelled vessels pass up the canal under their own power. The highest speed permitted is 8.1 knots, the lowest 5.4. Other vessels are tugged, either by pri vate tugs or the tugs of the canal administration, as desired. Pilots are compulsory. They come on board outside the canal wharves in front of the entrances and are advisers to the ships' captains, who remain responsible for the conduct of their ships while using the canal The Kiel canal is owned by the German Reich, which admin isters it through the Reichskanalamt in Kiel. The managing di rector in Kiel and the port captains at the entrances to the canal are in charge of the shipping and the administration of their sluices under the Reichskanalamt. Special officials are in charge of the preservation of the canal works. Art. 38o-386 of the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919) lay down certain regulations re specting the Kiel canal. Canal and pilotage dues are limited to a rate sufficient to cover the cost of administration, maintenance and improvements. All mercantile and war vessels of nations at peace with Germany have permanent free use of the canal, with out special permission, and on an equal footing (but as foreign ships of war pass through German territorial waters in approach ing or leaving the canal they are expected to obtain permission through diplomatic channels). Subjects, goods and vessels of all nations enjoy equal treatment as regards payments and attention. Traffic on the canal is subject only to general police, shipping and sanitary and customs regulations. Goods in transit arrive under seal or are accompanied by customs officers and are not subject to any further customs formalities. In the event of violations of any of these conditions, or of disputes as to the interpretation of them, any interested Power can appeal to the jurisdiction in stituted for the purpose by the League of Nations. A local Ger man authority at Kiel is qualified to deal with disputes in the first instance.
The Kiel canal, being the safest, most convenient, shortest and cheapest route from the North sea and the Baltic, is increasingly used by merchant vessels. In 1913, 55,382 ships passed of 10,350,000 tons net displacement; in 45,843 ships of i 14,070,000 tons; in ships of 19,912,069 tons. (M. C. M.) KIELCE (ke-el'tse), a province in S.W. Poland, surrounded by the provinces of Lodz, Warsaw, Lublin, Cracow and Silesia. Area 25,589 sq.km. Pop. (1931), 2,936,976, of which 90% are Poles (88% Roman Catholic), and the rest mostly Jews. Its surface is an elevated plateau 800 to I,000 ft. in altitude, inter sected by ravines and rising to 1,35o ft., as in the Lysogory hills, famous in legend and in war. The province is bounded on the north, south and east by the Vistula and its tributary, the Pilica, and is drained by the Nida, the Radomka and other rivers run ning through deep valleys. Silurian and Devonian quartzites, dolomite, limestones and sandstones prevail in the north, and contain rich iron ores, lead and copper ores. Carboniferous de posits containing rich coal seams occur, chiefly in the south, par ticularly in the Dombrova coalfield. The Triassic deposits con tain very rich zinc ores of considerable thickness, and lead. The Cretaceous deposits yield gypsum, chalk and sulphur. White and black marble are also extracted. The soil is of great variety, and fertile in parts, but owing to the proximity of the Carpath ians, the climate is severe. Rye, oats, wheat, barley and buck wheat are grown, modern intensive culture is spreading and land fetches high prices. Over 5o% of the area is cultivated. Grain is exported. Gardening is a thriving industry in the south; beet is grown for sugar in the south-east. Industries are con siderably developed; zinc ores are extracted, as well as iron and sulphur, and the coal-field in the south-west is the most thickly populated part of the province. Tiles, metallic goods, leather, timber goods and flour are the chief producti of the manufactures. The province was the central part of the early Polish State and formed part of Lesser Poland. The population declined owing to the ravages of the World War, but the province still contains some of the most thickly populated parts of Poland. The chief towns are Kielce, Radom, Czenstochowa, Bendzin, Sosnowiec, Dombrowa, Zawiercie, Olkusz, Sandomierz, Pincz6w, Ilia and OpatOw.