Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-16
Holland Fears
 Food Embargo
IT WOULD MEAN MISERY AND
 ECONOMIC RUIN
HOPE TO AVERT II
A Commission is Coming to United States to Try to Persuade the Gov ernment to Permit Continuance of the Shipment of Grain.

Amsterdam, Aug. 15-"1f we fail to persuade the American government to permit continuance of the supply of
 grain it will mean misery and econo-
 mic 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 today in a
 body by The Associated Press. May Force Holland Into the War.
 Whether or no such an eventuaIity
 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 unforeseenab1e circumstances,
 but it would manifestly render HOl- lands position most serious and would make her more than ever dependent upon the central powers, to whom she would presumably be obliged to turn to try to get grain, as well as the pres ent essential, coal, necessarily in ex- change for equivalent concessions, and in which case the American aim of stopping Dutch food exports toward Germany would still be defeated.
 The principal spokesman of the mis- sion was Joost van Vol1enhoven, the former managing director and still director of the Netherlands Overseas Trust and managing director of the Netherlands Bank. He hinted at the conclusions Holland would reluctantly have to draw regarding the Over seas trade for the future she having hitherto always reckoned that she could safely lean on that trade no matter what happened to her eastern supplies.
 Hopeful of Success
 The members of the mission 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 it.
 Joost van Vol1enhoven and his col leagues pin great faith on personal contact to clear up the misunder- standing between Holland and the United States and to arrive at an ar engagement.
 Questioned regarding what Holland was prepared to concede for the privi- lege of obtaining provisions from the United States. the members of the mis- sion spoke guardedly. but their re- marks justify the deduction that the Netherlands would be agreeable to the of part of her mercantile fleet. The one anxiety on this head was lest Holland should be wanted to do anything calculated to mix her up with the war and embroil her with Germany hence the wish was expressed that any such ships should be employ cd outside European waters.
 Willing to Take Over Belgian Relief.
 Herr von Vollenhoven expressly stated that The Netherlands govern ment would welcome scheme like that of taking over the Belgian relief service.
 The members of the mission em- ohaticaIly declared that while Hol- | ands supplies of the products of her | soil to both sides were automatically | decreasing it was impossible to alter | he present fixed division arrangement l n the sense of a smaller percentage i ,oing to Germany and a larger amount | o the entente countries and would eX- pose the country to the greatest dang 1T. The only possible course in this | lirection would be to reduce or cease to both groups of belligerents-
 Her van Vollenhoven expressed the opinion that in view of the Rumanian md other supplies, the SeVering of the central powers food imports from the western neutrals would not disable the reuton countries. He said that dis .blement only was to be achieved If t were possible to cut off oil, copper md similar vital supplies.
 Asked why The Netherlands could lot make herself independent of Ger many respecting coal, by getting sup dies from England, the members of he mission declared that apart from British conditions the shipment of 50 900 tons monthly, which is the mount of the reduced ration recently | flowed by Germany, 1t was quite inn ractiable.
 fIeSdrolnB Lne pciIuAhS hcSOIAe@IioAi with Germany on the coal question, The Associated Press was assured that lermanv was not aiming at a depart Ire from Hollands export diversion greement in her favor but in view f German labor shortage the coal upply was likely to be further reduc- d.
 Holland would like. the delegates aid, but doesn't expect to get he lll ration of 75,O00 tons of grain ,ODtb1v from the United States. ! 1tREMf( nE ANTHPAX