Evening star., 1918-04-13

'The owners, of Dutch ships were,
however. unwilling that their ships
should perform any other services than
those which it was clearly impossible
for US to facilitate. and the ships Of
this maritime nation accordingly lay
idle for many m4nths, and until the
conclusion on January as. 1918. Of the
temporary shipping agreement which
was proposed by the Netherlands COM
rnfssioners at London and accepted by
the United States as a measure to re-
store to immediate activity that portion
OF the Netherlands mercantile feet
lying within our waters.
The statement of the Netherlands
government seems to imply that this
agreement was in fact lived ND to by
the Netherlands government, yet evi-
dence to the contrary Is found In the
statement itself. which refers to Ger
performance by that government Of
what is enormously referred to as
Americas demand. but what was in
reality Netherlands undertaking. that
States for the Netherlands a corre-
spending Dutch vessel should stimuli
taneously leave the Netherlands for the
United States.
Germany's Objections.
Had not the Netherlands government.
under German threats Of violence,
knowledge. felt unable to carry out the
temporary shipping agreement, 1t is in
explicable that the steamships Sama-
rinda and Adonis would not have sailed
foodstuffs which, under the agreement.
the Netherlands was to receive, and OF
which. 1T was asserted. her people were
in direct need. Indeed, the statement
affairs made to parliament on March 10,
1918, II 1t is correctly reported to us,
sets out in copsiderable detail Ger
manys objections which prevented per.
Iormance Of this shipping agreement.
the Netherlands government had been
informed that the situation had reach
ed point where the associated gov
ernments could see no alternative but
requisitiontns' note was presented
on behalf Of the Netherlands govern
ment,. expressing the hope that Ger
many's objections might still be over
come, so as to permit at some future
date complete performance of this
agreement, which was to have been put
into operation Immediately and COM
plete1y upon It's conclusion nearly two
months ago. -1
Denounces Illegal Warfare.
One year ago the United States
abandoned its neutralityNa and pledged
IT'S entire resources Of life and treasure
to insure the triumph Of democracy
over autocracy and to assist to save the
world from the blight Of militarism
AS result Of species Of naval war
rare directed against belligerents and
neutra1s alike, which the Netherlandl
government have themselves declared
TO be illegal, there has, during this
period, existed shortage Of shipping
which threatens to postpone, at fright.
ful cost, the ultimate victory. This has
created an emergency which in magni.
tude and significance has seldom 1,
ever before been eQualed.
| During this period there have beer
Tying IN ports of the United States and
subject to its Jurisdiction and contro
approximately 100000 tons Of ships o.
Netherlands registry. At any tim,
within a year the United States mighl
have exercised it's right to put theol
shps into a service useful to II. yei
1t forbore and for many months pa.
tienfly negotiated, first In Washingtor
| and then in London, until finally tn
| temporary agreement Of January 2l
| was entered into