Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-12
DUTCH CELEBRATE
PACT WITH BRITAIN
New Fishing Agreement Gives
Freedom Of North Sea to
Hollands Smacks.
ONE FORBIDDEN ZONE"

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
Scheveningen, Netherlands, Sept. "a
Flags are flying from fishermen's
homes all along the Dutch coast in
celebration of the agreement with
Great Britain on the herring question.
When Englands blockading war
ships some months ago began to take
the squat Dutch smacks and luggers
into British ports, on the ground that
go per cent of their catches was pre-
sumably destined for Germany, pop
ular resentment in Holland rose to
high pitch. Fishing in the North Sea
for time practically came to "a stand
still.
The relief felt at the solution of the
difficulty is great. The hundred or so
detained craft have already been re-
leased by the British authorities, and
the entire Dutch fishing fleet of over
thousand vessels is to be entirely
free to again carry on its operations
in the North Sea-always with the ex-
ception OF the forbidden zone
Germans Get Some.
Britain's conditions, stipulated with
the Dutch fishing interests-the Meth
erlands government had nothing to
do with the negotiations-are that
from September ! until the, end Of the
war the catches shall be placed on the
open market as heretofore, but that
not more than 20 per cent thereof
shall be sold to Germany. Home con-
sumption will take another 20 per
cent while England reserves the OPP
ton to purchase a further 20 per cent
at prices ruling for Dutch buyers. The
remaining 40 per cent may be dis
posed of to any and all countries not
at war with Great Britain, and the
British authorities bind themselves to
pay the substantial subsidy of 80 shil-
lings per barrel OF us Kilograms thus
sold, to compensate for the higher
prices that might have been obtained
from Germany, reserving the right to
do, this in treasury notes of years
term. Further, the owners whose ships
were taken in are compensated for
any damage incurred 10 Lets and boats
during such operation, while permits
sion is again given to draw from Eng
land all the nets and other fishing
gear required.
Look to America.
One of the indirect results OF this
settlement is that the Dutch hope
to recapture the American market for
Dutch sailed herring-which had been
lost to them owing to the fancy prices
which German bidding had created.
Before the war the United States was,
next to Germany, the best customer,
taking l4,5l7 tons Of herring in 1918.
In 1915, American herring imports
from Holland had dropped to 1895
ton and during the first seven
months OF 1916 only eight tons of
Dutch herring found their way across
the Atlantic.
German buying competition will
now be excluded so far as 80 per cent
of the catches is concerned, and it is
hoped that the British subsidy, which
is something like the entire value of
the product in normal times, will
enable dealers to find big overseas
market at moderate prices, despite the
high freight rates. 1t should, however,
be added that outward freights have
not risen in anything like the same
proportion as those to Europe. In
fact, almost half of the ships sailing
from Dutch ports to transatlantic
destinations are ia ballast.
" Leading fishery interests in this
country estimate that from now on
until the end of the herring fishing
season, some 10000 tons of sailed
herring will be shipped to America
under this arrangement. This is fig
ured on basis of 80 to IS per cent
OF an estimated total catch of 100000
barrels.
As regards the fresh sea fish branch