Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-30
SHIPPING TO HOLLAND
CONTROLLED BY TRUST
'hiess Its Terms Are Complied With,
Shippers Have Very Little
Chance.
ITS CONDITIONS MEMORABLE
me Hague Becomes Rendezvous for
american Lawyers and Business
Men Who Seek to Expedite Expor-
'ations From This Country,

III hViICau Lawyers ana business
Wen Who Seek to Expedite Expor-
II 'ations From This Country.
d TIE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS. May
he Hague is. and has been for
som" time, a rendezvous for American
'a"yers and business men engaged in
"5'hg to seek better terms for the
e"portauon of American products to
holland. The negotiations are with
1 pahy' in whose hands almost all Dutch
| 'ieieh imports have fallen. 1t is even
! S7'i that tho State Department has
been frequently urged TO take a hand
| ana 10 endeavor to secure some COM
"'"atIon OF American exporters and
l Hanufacturers of sufficient strength to
oe able 10 bargain with the Neither
/ .ands oversee Trust, as Individual eff
| iorts have so far been fruitless.
since Its formation. the Netherlands
oVersea Trust Company. or IN o. T."
as u Is popularity called, has had n
very remarkable growth OF very real
Interest to American importers and cx-
pofteTs trading with Holland and with
INC Dutch colonies. The articles Of in
corporation OF the organization gave
y sweeping powers. its declared object
lending assistance in the broadcast
sense In behalf OF Dutch merchants
4 aad Dutch companies SO as 10 assure
4 an uninterrupted supply from oversee
\ countries OF such articles as have been
Il declared by belligcrent powers to be-
n long 70 absolute or conditional con-
\ fahand, or which might be declared
such In tho future: the running OF any
bVFlness for our own account absolute
~ excluded. AS almost anything
might be declared contraband in the
'utrre, the powers thus conferred are
almost llnitlcss.
A The Duration Of the corporate exis-
h 'enc" u the company was fixed In it's
h Charter until 1919. Representation OF
every shipping concern Of any conse-
qH"rce in tho Netherlands was pro-
v'dod on the board OF directors. each
4 % the following hauscs having at least
q on" man In the directorate OF the
t:us': Afnsterdam-the Dutch Indian
Trading Bank the Bank of Amster-
Gam. p. W Bl!idenstein 6 Company,
the Holland Steamship Company. the
Dutch steamship Company Ocean,"
d the ROYAL Packet Company. the Royal
Dutch Steamship Company, the West
India Mail Service, and the Royal
Dutch Lloyd. Rottcrdam-the Rotter-
damsche Bankvcrecniging, r. Mecs 6.
Son, W!llenl Rugs & Son. the Rotter-
j dam Lloyd Steamship Company. and the
Holland America Line. IRE Hague
i Willem II. Muller IL Company.
Tho provision Of the articles Of In
corporation, that the Netherla nds
Oversee Trust is TO DO no business for
been strictly adhered 10. But It cannot
oe denied that wha, II has done to
/ facilitate trade with the Netherlands
| u these difficult times has been Of
immense and is OF increasing profit to
i those banks and shipping companies
represented on the directorate Of the
trust For the practical workings OF
the trust have been so decided pre-
cIscly wha; can and what cannot be
shipped 10 and from the Netherlands
4 by virtue merely of deciding what the
Netherlands Oversee Trust viii and
| what !, Will not accept on consign-
ueut, or respond for when exported.
As the trust is virtually tho only ship
ping agency In Holland given any de-
4 unite standing b. the allied powers,
the difficulties attending shipments TO
| Holland otherwise than through the
,rus, arc so great as TO amount almost
! 10 a prohibition.
The result OF this is clear II the
Netherlands Oversee Trust will receive
i 2 certain American product. and If its
i manufacturers and exporters will con-
form absolutely 10 the rules of ship
man, laid down by the trust. the pro-
duct enters Holland under the most
a favorable conditions at present pos
sihe II the product In question is
not so shipped, ii may never reach
. Holland al all. This situation gives
tho y .. T complete effective con-
troll OF virtually everything shipped to
Holland
Certain American shippers have tried
70 secure some slight modification of
urcscr!bed By the Oversee Trust They
have sent representatives TO : he Hague
FOR that purpose. But as these men
have represented only isolated Ameri-
can shippers or manufacturers, they
have accomplished nothing. The " o.
r says to them:
Gentlemen, II YOU don't like our
REGULATIONS for bonding or our terms
- shipment. don't ship Somebody
in Your line will accept our terms.
Holland Will not be deprived Of
you have to send us. These are
conditions upon which your pro-
may enter the Netherlands through
81 Netherlands Oversee Trust Take
or leave them" And as American
-rrtcrs 10 Holland have not been
6y,.f.. enough to form combination
=,toug enough TO combat this attitude
i The conditions laid down by the trust
nave to be met by the American ship
| rers