Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-27
HOLLAND MINISTER
LESEXPORT DATA
Mr.. Van Rappard Seeks to
Prevent Application of En-
barge to Country.
PAVES WAY FOR MISSION

Without awaiting the arrival in
Washington of the Dutch commission,
which is leaving Holland in few days
though anxious to secure its assistance.
MIR. van Rappard. the Dutch minister
here. is making determined enort 10
prevent the application to the Neither
lands of certain provisions OF the EN-
hargo law. which he feels will work
.rreparable injury and injustice to a
Friendly country. Realizing that even
government tribunals may be uncon-
Sciously, but effectively affected in
their decisions by frequent repetition
by unofficial statements of distorted
conditions, the Dutch minister has sub
United to the export council about to
undertake the application of the en-
barge law mass OF information re-
Earding the extent in which his coun-
Try has supplied food to the entente al
lies as well as to the central powers.
Fears Effect Of Aid to Germans.
Though not directly connected with
the question Of the actual neutrality OF
Dutch waters, which the Netherlands
government has formally declared to be
strictly preserved. in refutation of the
charge that the harboring of German
Vbomarines had been permitted, he
Gays, 1t is conceivable that the attitude
of the State Department might easily
be affected in dealing with Holland by
mistaken Impressions regarding the
extent 10 winch f1OllanQ mas supported
the German army. Hence the efforts
of Minister van Rappard to make
good case for his government
The official statistics laid before the
export council are directly at issue
with the common view that Holland
has been developing an enormous ex-
port trade as result of the war. As
matter of fact, it is declared, the total
of the exports has decreased consider
ably from 1914 to 1917-the war period
nr4 foI, eyfa
which constituted 30.Ss6 per cent of
the exports during the six-month
period from November to April. inclu-
sive. in 1914-1916. declined to 24.156 per
cent in the same period of 1916-1917
Butter, another great staple export in
the same period. declined from 1852
per cent to 9.446 per cent Pork declin-
ed from 37705 to 1871, and meat from
1916 to 1859.
Cites Need of Coal
That such exports are necessary to
the existence of Holland. with her
overproduction of vegetables, fruit and
the like and her absolute requirement
for coal, salt, lumber, steel and other
articles. is declared by the minister to
have been recognized by the entente
allies themselves. which, while per-
hitting the importation into Holland
during the winter months of 1.250.000
tons of coal from Germany. also per-
mitted the importation of 100000 tons
from England.
That fact, he points out, might lead
one to expect an excess of exports from
Holland to Germany, but on the con-
trary the proportion has shifted SO that
the allies are getting more.
That the allies themselves are par
ties to the division of the Dutch export
trade between themselves and Germany
ts declared to be shown by the exist
ence of an agreement, entered into by
the Netherlands bureau for agricultural
exports and the British government.
STIMULATING that of Hollands total ex-
ports there must be delivered to the
allies of cheese, 80 per cent; of butter.
rs per cent: of meat, SO per cent, and of
potatoes. so per cent, besides, 10 per
cent of milk products, rs per cent of
fruit, SC per cent of faxseed, so per
cent of fax and SO per cent of potato
-four. For all of these the Holland ex-
porter, II is declared, receives a much
lower price in England than in Ger
many.
Answering a published statement that
Holland was supplying the whole Ger
man army with butter, it is stated that
the total Dutch export of butter to Ger
many would average one-hundredth of
an ounce per head Of the population
per day.
Finally. to support the statement that
there has been no abnormal importation
of American foodstuns into Holland
during the war. it is declared that the
total Importation of grains, flour and
nuts declined from 2.111,5s1 tons in the
year 1912 to 1917 1903 in 1916.