The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-21
MISSIONARIES / !! I: ( ]: (: -
STATEMENT ON
SHIP. SEIZURE
Points Out Vital Necessity OF
More Shipping Space to
Feed World
HOLLAND ALSO TO GAIN
Colonies of Tiny Nation Will Be
Fed Through Use of Ships
By America

dent Wilson authorized last night the
following statement:
For some months the United States
and the entente allies have been con
Quoting negotiations with the Dutch
government, with the object OF con
Guiding q general commercial agree
ment.
"A very clear statement of the
character of these negotiations was
made on March II to the Dutch par
lament by his excellency, the minister
of foreign affairs of Holland. AS ap'
pears from the statement, the dis
cussion proceeded upon the basis OF
two fundamental propositions, name
", that the United tSates and the
allies should facilitate the tmporta-
ton into Holland Of foodstutfs and
other commodities required TO main
tain her economic life, and that Hol-
land should restore her merchant mar
inc 10 normal condition OF activity.
1t was the task OF the neeotiators
to develop a specific application OF
these propositions which would be &C
ceptable to the governments concern
ed
Agreement Was Made
EARLY in January, 1918, the nego
tiators came to ap understanding
which was embodied in tentative
agreement which was submitted to the
government concerned In order that,
II acceptable, it might be ratified. or
II, unacceptable q counter proposal
might be made. ..
"The negotiations becoming pro
longed, the Dutch delegates proposed,
In order that their ships might soon
er be put into remunerative. service,
tho Dutch tonnage lying idle in Ameri'
can waters should, with certain eN'
ceptions, be Immediately chartered to
the United States for periods not eX:
ceeding ninety days. This proposal
was accepted by the United States
government and on January rs, 1918,
the Dutch minister at Washington
handed to the secretary OF state OF
the United States a note expressing
the terms Of the temporary chartering
agreement and his governments &C
ceptance thereof.
"OuIO. ASSIST OCllCt WIN
"This agreement provided, among
other things that 10000 tons OF Dutch
Shipping should. at the discretion OF
the United States, be employed part
" in the service Of Belgian relief and
partly for Switzerland on safe con
duct to. Cette France, and that TO!
each ship sent to Holland in the ser
vice of Belgian relief corresponding
vessel should leave Holland for the
United States. Two Dutch ships In the
United States ports with cargoes OF
toodstuffs were to proceed to Holland
similar tonnage being sent in eX-
change from Holland to the United
States for charter as in the case ~
other Dutch ships lying in the unlte9
States ports
":> Only Temporary Plan
The agreement was explicitly tenn
porary in character and. being de
signed to meet an immediate situation
prompt performance was OF the eH
sence. The Dutch government 81
once disclosed, however, that il Was
unwilling or unable to carry cut this
chartering agreement which it had II
self proposed The first desire OF the
United States was 70 secure at once
shipping, as contemplated by the
agreement. to transport to SwltHef'
land foodstuffs much needed by the
state. One difficulty after another
however was raised to postpone INC
chartering Of Dutch ships for Swiss
relief and, although the reason was
never formally expressed, it was gen
orally known that the Dutch shir
owners feared lest their ships should
be destroyed by German submarines.
even though on an errand OF mercy
and though not traversing any OF the
so-called danger zones proclaimed by
the German government. That TINS
fear was not wholly ,unjustitied has
unhappily been shown by the recen
act Of the German government IT
sinking the Spanish ship Sardinert
outside the danger zone, when carry
ing cargo OF grain for Switzerland.
and after the submarine commander
had ascertained this fact by an lnspec
ton Of the ships papers.
German Threats Cited
IN respect to Belgian relief. the
Dutch government expressed Its pres
ent inability to comply with the agree
ment, on the ground that the German
government had given Holland to
understand that it would forcibly pre-
vent the departure from Holland OF
the, corresponding ships, which. under
the agreement, were to leave coincl
dentlaly for the United States. The
Dutch government even felt itself un
able to- secure the two cargoes OF food.
stuffs, which under the agreement II
was permitted to secure, since here
again the German government inter
vened and threatened to destroy the
equivalent Dutch tonnage which under
the agreement was to leave Holland
for the United States. . /
Holland Put OF. Reply. l |
Nearly two months have elapsed
since the making Of the temporary
chartering agreement. and the pro
posed general agreement has lain ever
longer without reply on the part OF
Holland. Meanwhile, German threats |
have grown more violent with view |
to preventing any permanent agree
Jnent and of forcing Holland to VIC
late anv temporary agreement.
80, March 7. through Great Britain.
: f.1al proposal. expiring on the 18th
,,-as submitted to Holland. A reply has
!. Al received which, while in itself
t.,acceptasle, might under other con
ditiulis have served as a basis for
further negotiations. But the events
TO which, have alluded had servead
to demonstrate conclusivety that we
!, AVA fIbeen attempting to negotiate