The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-05
HOLLAND LIKELY. TO JOIN ALLIES
 IN GREAT WAR 
Conditions Show Denmark, Norway and Sweden Are
 Likely to Follow.

Washington, May 5.-The increas- ing ravages of the German submarine campaign and the necessity of taking drastic measures to cope with them may force Holland and the Scandfna- vian countries to face the alternative
 of joining in the war against Germany or going without food supplies until the war is ended. This new aspect of the international situation 1oomed up for the first time Friday as a result of a conference on trade matters held by Foreign Minister Balfour and oth- CTS with Secretary Lansing.
 President Wilson has no intention of forcing the issue so far as bringing these neutral countries into the ranks of the belligerents is concerned. and has virtually pledged the United States to make the difficulties for these neutrals as light as possible, but the whole present trend of the war situation as affected by the U-boat blockade indicates that Holland and the Scandinavian countries may be forced to abandon their present posi- tion of passiveness to Gernany's war zone decree.
 It is predicted in diplomatic circles that these neutral countries will have to fulfil the following requirements to be assured of a flow of necessary food supplies from the United States:
 They must contrive a plan whereby no foodstuffs may reach the Central Powers, and this plan must be Of such a nature that the Entente govern nc ynts and the United States will be absolutely assured of it's effectiveness. They must use the thousands of tons of their shipping which now lie idle if they want to keep their markets open. They must refuse to be dominated by Germany to the extent of making more difficult, instead of easier, the so-called joint general campaign to break down the effectiveness Of the U-boat operations.
 It is understood here that a number of the diplomatic representatives oi these neutral countries are in state I of panic through fear that the co-op- | erative efforts of the United States and the Entente will result in a vir- l tual food strangulation. The answer 1 to their anxiety will be assurances l that this fear will prove unfounded provided there is a policy pursued
 which meets with the requirements which the United States and the En- l tente nations will dictate.
 | It is said that the German minister
 at The Hague has on several occa-
 
 to beware of sharing the fate of Bel
 gium'' and Holland with Belgium's
 virtual destruction before it's eyes has
 had no alternative apparently but tt obey The State Department here fully realizes the extremely delicate
 position which has confronted tht
 Dutch nation with German troops al
 most constantly massed on the Dutcl
 border.
 Sympathy, however, has had to givt
 way in many instances in pursuance
 of the all important world battle fol
 the. right of free people to live. It il
 now felt that it is time for the Dutcl
 government fully to realize that Ger
 manys influence cannot hold sway il l the next vita1ly important eigh
 months.
 II Held up at Rotterdam is fleet o 1 Dutch ships which fear to ply thu
 esas or which are held in port by Gre man influence. The same holds true 1t is said, in other neutral ports.