Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-04-13
AMERICAS REPLY

AV1lI1C1OA y nLT LII
ed were largely of grain Of which our
own reserves are all too low The bunk
ers, if granted. would have served TO
carry this grain to The Netherlands
where, as events have demonstrated. #
was not then needed and where it would
only have served to release equivalent
foodstuffs for the enemy.
The owners of Dutch sbjns wers
! however unwilling thar their ships
should perform any other services than
those which it was clearly impossible
Tor us TO facilitate, and the ships Of this
/ maritime nation accordingly lay idle for
many months and until the conclusion
on Jan. %, 1915, of the temporary shin
ping agreement which was proposed by
Inc Netherlands commissioners at Lon
don and accepted by the United States
as a measure TO restore to jmmef,;a re-
ACTIVITY that portion Of The Neither
= lands mercantile feet living within our
waters
ne statement of rue Netherlands
government seems to imply that this
agreement is in fact lived I'D TO bv The
\e'herlands government. yet evidence
10 the contrary is found in the state
hleh' itself which refers to German OBJ
jec''ohs AS having prevented perform
aHce ny that government of what is
enormously referred to as Americas dc
mand, but which was in reality Meth
criands undertaking, that when Dutcb
snip left the United States for TIL
Netherlands corresponding Dutch yes
SCI should simultaneously leave The
Hetheflands for The United States.
Had not The Netherlands govern.
Hehl undor German threats Of vii,
'V"'' "nich were mHtater of com
iron knowledge, felt unable to carr.
oul the temporary shipping agree
i'"h'' II IS mcEplicablc that ibe
S'c@ mshlps Samarinda and Adon,s
would nave sailed for a Dutch non
with their careoes of foodstuffs u.ri,,i
under the agreement "ThA Neither
lands was 10 receive and of which Il
was asserted her people were in Ill
rect need. Indeed the statement If
t ne Netherlands minister for fore,en
aflairS made to Parliament on March
l. l9lA, # II is correctly reported 10
Us sets out in considerah bile detail
Germany's objections which prevent
/ performance OF this shining
agreement
As recently as March IA, 1918. ~.
yer lne Netherlands government had
been informed that the situation ha j
reached point where the associated
governments could see no alternative
but requisitioning. a note was pre-
scented on behalf Of The Netherlands
government. expressing the hope
that Germany's objections might still
be overcome. so as to permit at some
future date complete performance of
this agreement. which was to have
been put into operation Immediate
| y and completely upon its conclusion
nearly two months before
Secretary Lansing then proceeds to
, point out the allied ship shortage due
to German submarine efforts and the
fact that since the United States en-
tered the war approximately 500. 900
/ tons of Dutch ships have been ly-
| ing in American ports. These ships
the statement declares. might have
! been taken over by the United States
earlier. but this country "patientIy
neSotiated' for months and then act
ed only when negotiations failed
Inc statement continues by say
ing that the seizure does not leave
! the \etherlan ds short of ships to
/ such an extent as to seriously in
terfere with her welfare or the well
! fare of her colonies. that all ships
taken will be returned to their own
ers or replaced, and that loo. 900 tons
of bread cereal refused to The Meth
erlands by Germany will be furnish
ed by the allied nations from their
own inadequate supplies. In addition
other commodities seriously needed
! by the Dutch are to be supplied
t In conclusion the statement reads.
! The statement of The Netherlands
government explicitly. recognizes tho
ira additional friendship of the I-n;,od
states towards their cour,r, 7,
recognizes that We have hera+ofo.o
! sought to act in accordance u.;,h -
dictates of right and justice ana .,
champion the interests OF smaller
nations. IT should not therefore
hastily be presumed that We 49,.
now abruptly repudiated thar frio,d
ship and been false to those iaoaI.
1t is in fact difficult TO believe 49,.
such conclusion could be d,avn
from this exercise of our rights n
manner which scrupuloush s.fe.
guards and indeed promotes +ha ~
tional interests of The Netherlands
1T seems to me thar i, ,,,,