New Britain herald., 1917-08-16
HOLLAND FACING
 ECONOMIC RUIN Mission to America RetiCent Re- garding Engaging in War

Amsterdam, Aug. 16.-"If we fail to persuade the American govern ment to permit a continuance of the supply of grain it will mean misery and economic ruin for Holland," unanimously declared the members of the official Dutch mission who are expected to sail for the United States this week and who were interviewed in a body by the. Associated Press.
 Whether such an eventuality would ultimately force Holland into the war the members of the mission did not care to prophecy.
 This, they contended, depended on the capacity of the Dutch people to bear privations and on unforeseeable circumstances, but it would manifest ly render Hollands position most ser ious and would make her more than ever dependent upon the Central Powers, to whom she would be obliged to turn to get grain. as well as the present essential coal neces- sarily in exchange for equivalent con- sessions, and in which case the Amer ican aim of stopping Dutch food ex- ports toward Germany would still be | defeated.
 The principal spokesman of the | mission was Joost van Vollenhoven, managing director of the Nether- lands bank He hinted at the con- l clusions Holland would reluctantly
 have to draw regarding the overseas | trade for the future, she having | hitherto always reckoned that she | could safely lean on that trade. no l matter what happened to her Eastern 1 sunnlies. The members of the mis- l sion, however, in no wise anticipated
 such a failure of their efforts. On
 the contrary they were hopeful of
 success and said they would leave no stone unturned to achieve 1t.
 | Joost van Vollenh oven said he
 thought America where the rights of small states had been so cham 1 pioned, would not do anything to de- 1 prive a. small state of the possibility l of maintaining a free existence.
 As to what Holland was prepared 1 to concede for the privilege of pro-
 visioning this country the member | of the mission spoke guardedly, but
 their remarks justify the deduction l that the Netherlands would be agree able to the chartering of part of her
 mercantile fleet. The one anxiety on
 this had was lest Holland should be l wanted to do anything calculated to
 embroil her with Germany, hence the
 wish was expressed that any such
 ships would be employed outside
 European waters. MT. van Vollen-
 hoven expressly stated that the Meth 1 erlands government would welcome a
 scheme like that of taking over the
 Belgian relief shipping service.
 Breads Wrath of Germany.
 The members of the mission em-
 phatically declared that while Hol- ) lands supplies of the products of he1 soil to both sides were automatically decreasing, it was impossible to alter
 the present fixed division, arrange ment in the sense of a smaller per.
 centage going to Germany and .
 larger amount to the Entente coun tries, as this would immediately b. branded as unneutral by Germany ant would expose the country to thu greatest dangers. The only possible
 course in this direction would be tt
 reduce or cease exports to bot1 : groups of belligerents.
 Van Vollenhoven expressed thu l opinion that in view of the Rumaniar
 and other supplies, the severing O the Central Powers food import from the western neutrals would no ) disable the Teuton countries. H } said that disablement only was to b. achieved if it were possible to cut of } i oil copper and similar vital supplies Regarding the pending negotiation l with Germany on the coal question the Associated Press was assured ! that Germany was not aiming at , departure from Hollands present ex