Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-03-21
Proclamation Issued When
Holland Refuses to
Transfer.
NAVAL GUARDS GO ON BOARD
Sevcnty-Scven Vessels With
Tonnage Higher than / 600,-
600 Tons Are Taken.
BRITISH ARE ALSO ACTING
According to Agreement
Requisition Goes Forward
in All English Waters.

WASH fNGToN, March 20 Upon
hollands refusal In the face OF der
man thrcaia 10 put into effect hcr
voluntary agrps,ment for restoring
nor merchant marine To normal aC-
uNity. the United States government
tonight reQulsitioned all Dutch ahips
IN American waters A. the same
time Great Britain wNs taking over
Dutch vessels In Hrltish ports
A total of n shlps OF probably
600, 600 tons wns added 20 tho Amer
lean merchant marine By tho roqul.
altloning. Another 900 600 tons are
put into the allied service by ureat
Britains action. Most OF them Will
be used In food carrying trade be.
tween tho United States and Du-
rope,
Hollands itcrIy Rejection.
President WILSON'S proclamation
taking over the ships was Issued only
after word finally came from Lon
don that Hollands DELAYED reply was
a rejection Of tho British demand.
The government had waited more
than ~ hours beyond the time when
Holland had been requested 10 make
a decision aH 10 whether she would
carry out tho original rfact or submit
10 reqnisitIonng. Every effort was
made 10 avoid drastic action 40
transfer bv agreement WIS sought
rather than hv seizure .lthD tho lat
ter In an exercise OF sovereign rights
mstlfifled In international law and
practiced by MI nations
As late as g o'ciUch tonight II was
disclosed that President Wilson dur
ing tho day had been informed OF
the Dutch reply with the request that
he Indicate whether or not the re-
Questioning should proceed He de-
cided 20 await tho formal raply
which proved unacceptable, aitho
under other conditions n might have
served aa basis for negotiations.
The presidents proclamation was
isHued immediately authorizing the
nnvy to take over tho vcsHols, which
will be equipped ana operatod by
the navy department and the ship
supplemented by American civilian
sailors and naval reservists. Com
psnsation viii he made 60 the owners
as required by law.
Biockcd ny Germany.
In n statement outlining the nego-
tiations which preceded the req'iisi-
ttoDlng. President Wilson pointed out
that the permanent agreement with
the Dutch government had been
blocked by Germany despite the lit !
tie Kingdoms acute need OF food !
stuffs for which the agreement pro- |
yided A temporary agreement then /
was negotiated TO ride over the ener-
gency and that too was held up by
Prusslnn diplomacy.
"Altho tho reason nevor WAS for
mnllN expressed" the president SAID.
IL generally was known that the
Butch ship owners feared lest th@r
hips should be destroyed by German
submarines That this fear was not
wholly unJuBtned hna unhappliy
been shown nv the recent act Of the
jorman government IN sinking the
Spanish ship Sardincro outside of tho
hanger zone when carrying a Cargo
" grain for Switzerland and after
he submarine commander had as-
'ortalncd this fact by an inspection
II the ships papers
For two months tho proposed
Igreemonts lay In diplomatic rigoon-
ioles without sction and ncapwhile. NJ
he president snys. German threats
lave grown more Violent The
irni proposal 20 Iiollnnd WIS trans
dittad on March 7 and sot last Mon
10y as the time by which reply
rs wished Failing 10 receive n
nvornble reply, the United States
rocrcdeh 20 reGulsitioning the ships J
D dictated hv military necedsity
Although the ships have been
AIKEN over without any formal
rrcetncnt. the United states pro-
oErs 20 carry out scrupuluualy the
etms ~ tho original pact so that ]
Iollnnd shall receive ample food a
tufts ANA will no protected In her Z
ll0ulal tra1" by having Sufficient b
lnnars 90 maintain its commerce. .