New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-09
Special Dutch
Mission Pleads
For u. S. Food
Say, Small Neu'rals De-
mend on America for
Their Existence
Holland on Rations
Envoy Asserts Supplies Will
Not Be Re-exported to
Germany
Holland on Rations

u.sHINGToN, Sept. s The mem
- .be special Dutch mission will
", .-.ssnted to Secretary Of State
.;,c by Minister W. L. +. c. Van
,s Monday and on Tuesday TO
h'it :s.-. Wilson. The members Of the
IT,. t., are Joost Van Wollenhoven'
p managing director Of the Neither
p.,k sri member Of the cNecu-
'-1, ..rcil Of the Netherlands Oversee
~ A 6. 4. Van Ealdc, civil en-
.,-,,, ]. b. Van der HOusen Van
go 80. r,.s ytcc-rresidcnt Of the Meth
W. s. ,-sssn state Council. j. {.
, .'.-, aid J.E. Van der Wielen are
..-.,ar.c. to the mission.
-. mission was delegated. II was
...as to-day. to discuss actual com
- relations between the United
go. and Holland. Il was said at the
..,.io- to-day that III. members pre-
,..3to reserve O discussion Of their
-. end what measures they hope to
.-,.is.e with this government until
tsr shall have become more intimately
.,.i7ted with conditions obtaining
:, this country.
Pleads Cause of Neutrals
.,oEesmar for the mission, dis
..;r- +, broad outlines the task OF
:. mission and the conditions in Hol-
h,d. said:
aW, have come to plead the cause
.,,ss smaller neutral nations, and par
s.plsrlv Of Holland. We wish to make
,,.,r 10 YOUR government and 10 your
,.o,le tina, the question Of American
.spport Of small neutral countries Is
,-s which involves their very existence.
I'VE are prepared to explain every
hing and TO give all facts and figures
q, vour government TO prove our case.
The ease of the small neutrals and OF
Holland has been misrepresented and
Misunderstood. There is no clear idea
A. the difficulties under which Holland
Ives first. because Of the geographical
-osition Of our country between the
bsujgerents and, second, because Of our
economic position.
Dutch Need Coal Badly
Holland is not a self-supporting
country. She has little raw materials,
metals and coal of her own. The
question Of coal and foodstuffs is, Of
course the most important one. Hol-
land Is particularly hard up, on &C
count Of her shortage Of coal. A very
severe winter is ahead for the cOun-
try chiefly because Germany the
eo.rtry's principal source of supply
tor coal. is short of labor, and has
been obliged 10 curtail her shipments
20 the Netherlands. A commission
has been appointed to take care Of
the coal situation, and the people viii
be put or coal ratiOns, even the rch.
Children viii be kept in the schools
as long as possible TO keep them warm.
The scarcity Of bread in Holland
is very serious. For the first time
since the war started Holland has
been obliged 70 nut the Dutch people
on bread rations. Only seven loaves
Of bread. smaller than the normal loaf,
are allotted 20 an individual adult for
eleven DAYS. At first this ration was
given for seven days, then for nine,
bg; on September . 1t was changed to
eleven days.
Food Shortage Critical
The food shortage is critical. be-
cause bread is the principal staple Of
the working peoples diet
Il was declared that holland is not
now and has not ever reeXported
foodstutts imported from the United
States. All commodities purchased in
the United States, it was explained,
are consigned 10 the Netherlands
Oversee Trust, which reconsigns them
70 the persons or firms for whom they
we're purchased. The penalties for re-
exporting such goods, it was declared,
are very heavy.
It was stated. that the mission has
brought figures 20 prove that every
ten Of goods Of every kind for which
Holland is dependent upon the United
states is needed in Holland, and that
nothing j. left over for reeXpOrtation,
even If reeyportation were permissible.