The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-21
ALLIES TAKE
DUTCH SHIPS
President Orders Seizure Of
II in u. S. Ports.
100000 TONS IN BRITAIN

Will Add 100000 Tons to War Car
rying Faculties of This Country.
Holland Was Awed by Germany.
Washington, March 21-Upon Hol-
lands refusal, in the face of German
threats, TO put into effect her volun-
tary agreement for restoring her mer-
chant marine to normal activity, the
Unittd States government requisitiOn-
ed all Dutch ships in American wat
ers. At the same time Great Britain
was taking over Dutch vessels in Brit
ish ports.
A total OF seventy-seven ships of
probably 100000 tons were added to
the American merchant marine by
the requisitioning. Another 900
tons are put into the allied service
by Great Britains action. Most of
them will be used in the food carrying
trade between the United States and
Europe
President Wilson's proclamation
taking over the ships was issued only
after word finally came from London
that Hollands delayed reply was
rejection Of the British-American de-
mand. The government had waited
more than forty-eight hours beyond
the time when Holland had been re-
quested to make a decision as to
whether she would carry out the
original pact or submit to requisition-
ing.
Every effort was made to avoid
drastic action as transfer by agree
ment was sought rather than by seiz-
ure, although the latter is an exercise
of sovereign rights justified in inter
national law and practiced by all ma
tions
President Wilson authorized the fol
lowing statement:
For some months the United
States and the entente allies have
been conducting negotiations with the
Dutch government with the object OF
concluding general commercial
agreement.
"a very clear statenhant of the
character of these negotiations was
made on March II to the Dutch par
lament by his exceLency the minister
Of foreign affairs of Holland. AS ap-
pears from the statement, the discus
sion proceeded upon the basis Of two
fundamental propositions namely,
that the United STATES anu T1fs dfzFes !
facilitate the importation into Hol- |!
land of foodstuffs and other commodi- |
ties required to maintain her eco |
nomic life, and that Holland should |
restore her merchant marine to nor |
NAL condition of activity.
at was the task of the negotiators
to develop a specific application of |
these propositions which would be ac |
ceptable to the governments concern
ed.
The negotiations becoming pro- |
longed, the Dutch delegates proposed, |
in order that their ships might soon !
er be put into remunerative service, |
that Dutch tonnage lying idle in |
American waters should with certain |
exceptions, be Immediately charter
ed to the United States for periods |
not exceeding ninety days. This pro- |
posal was accepted by the United !
States government, and on January !
25, 1918, the Dutch minister at Wash |
ington handed to the secretary of |
state of the United States a note ex-
pressing the terms of the temporary |
chartering agreement and his govern |
ments acceptance thereof.
This agreement provided, among |
other things, that 10000 tons OF |
Dutch shipping should be at the dis |
cretion of the United States be en-
ployed partly in the service of Belgian |
relief and partly for Switzerland on |
safe conduct to Cette, France, and |
that for each ship sent to Holland in |
the service of the Belgian relief a |
CORES ponding vessel should leave |
Holland for the United States. Two |
Dutch ships in the United States ports
with cargoes of foodstuffs were to |
proceed to Holland, similar tonnage |
being sent in exchange from Holland |
to the United States for charter, as !
in the case of other Dutch ships ly- |
ing in the United States ports.
"One difficulty after another was, !
however, raised to postpone the char
tering of Dutch ships for Swiss re- |
lief, and, although the reason was
never formally expressed, it was gen |
orally known that the Dutch ship |
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.
In respect of 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 un-
derstand that 1t would forcibly pre-
vent tne departure from Holland of
the sponding ships, which under
the agreement were to leave cOlncf- (
dentally for the United States. The /
Dutch government even felt itself un-
able to secure the two CargOeS of
foodstuffs, which under the agree
ment it was permitted to secure, since
here again the German government
interviewed and threatened to destroy
the equivalent Dutch tonnage which
under the agreement was to leave