New-York tribune., 1916-02-21
Berlin Won't Guarantee to
Respect Raw Imports,
Secretary Declares.
INDUSTRY REVIVAL
DEFEATED BY STAND
Relief Commission Planned to
Make Nation Self-Sup-
porting.


persist in their policy Of bleeding Bel
gium OF its raw materials the indus
trial rehabilitation OF the country Is
impossible, in the opinion Of Sir Ed
ward Grey, the British Foreign Secre-
tery.
In a letter to-day TO Mr.. Hymans. the
Belgian Minister here, the Secretary
declares that the plan of aiding Bel
gium to feed herself by the reopening
of her factories has failed, because
Germany thus far has refused to reply
to the request for guarantees that raw
materials and manufactured goods will
not be seized.
The American Relief Commission
some time ago proposed that certain
kinds of non-contraband raw mate
rials should be permitted to pass
through the British blockade into Bel
GUM. goods manufactured from them
to be rcexported. II was proposed that
the balance of trade thus created In
favor of Belgium should be invested IN
food. thus putting the population as
far as possible, upon self-supporting
basis and at the same time checking
the growing Generalization due to long
unemployment.
Sir Edward Grey's letter to the Bel
pian Minister follows:
During the last months you have
represented 10 me frequently the con-
dition Of industries in that part OF Bel
gium occupied by the enemy and the
need for the import OF raw material, II
those industries were to be saved from
ruin and universal unemployment and
distress prevented.
Food Question Still Exempt.
az now inclose a memorandum which
shows the true state Of the case.
should add that the question here dealt
with is entirely distinct from the I'M
portation Of foodstuffs into Belgium by
the relief commission. as to which the
attitude of his majesty's government
remains that recently stated to Parlia-
ment-that the government will facill-
.,te the work of the commission as
lono and in so far as the work is carried
on under adequate neutral supervision,
completely independent Of German con-
troll and in compliance with conditions
laid down from time TO time by his
niaiesty's government"
The memorandum referred 70 by Sir
Edward Grey is in part as follows:
at is understood there is strong
feeling among the Belgians that the IN
drstrial distress is to be attributed
solely to the action of the allied gov
ernments in preventing imports, and 1t
is often contended that this action does
not appreciably harm Germany, while
/. involves a most painful loss to the
people of our ally"
The government, says the memoran-
dunn, some months ago asserted It's VII
lirgness to consider proposals for the
importation Of raw materials into Bel
o;um through the agency and under the
Guarantees of the relief commission.
Commission To Be Supreme.
"The undertakings demanded from
the Germans in connection with this
scheme" the memorandum continues
"were simple. They were to permit
,he free importation of raw materials
and the export of manufactured GOODS
made from such materials through the
Relief Commission. They were, IN gen.
eral. TO treat any factory thus supplied
he the commission as enjoying the
same privileges and immunities as one
~ the commissions warehouses"
The nlan was submitted to the Ger
man authorities at Brussels, the mem
orandum adds. by the Relief Commls-
sion four months ago, but no reply OF
any kind was received.
The memorandum then accuses the
Germans of deliberate plan not to
enter into any agreement OF the pro
rosed kind until they have taken the
last ource of native stocks OF raw ma
terials or manufactured goods when
can be of any use TO them. ana until
thew have been able to create such
widespread destitution as TO force
renuisite amount of Belgian labor 10
en,igrate to Germany or take employ.
ment in Belgian works controlled by
them for their own purposes.
"When these objects have been
Gained. so far as the frmness and pa
triotism of Belgian manufacturers