Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-15
ALLIES To TAKE
DUTCH VESSELS
Hollands Delay In Negotia.
tions Due to German
Influence.

Washington, D. c., March 14.-The
United States and Great Britain have
presented a final notice to Holland
that unless the pending agreement for
allied use of Dutch ships is accepted
bv March 1S the ships will be taken
over for allied use.
The Netherlands minister. Angus
tus Phillips. had an engagement to see
President Wilson today and it was be.
lieved he would present final appeal
for his government that the inten.
tions of the United States and Great
Britain to take over Dutch shipping at
least be modified.
HOLLANDS DELAY is cAuse
Z LoIdor, March "a. Recanse
|of the long delays in the
negotiations with Holland over Dutch
ships in allied ports and the slowness
of the Dutch government to act In
this respect, Great Britain and the
United States have reached an agree
ment to end the negotiations and take
over all such ships next week for the
ues of the allies.
Every precaution will be taken to
safeguard the rights of the owners
The ships will be insured and armed
and any ships sunk will be replaced
at the earliest possible time after the
war.
100000 TONS AFFECTED
The amount Of tonnage made avail.
able to the allies through the Dutch
arrangements is 100000 tons, OF
which 70 per cent is in the United
States, Is per cent in British ports
and Is per cent in other allied ports
A similar arrangement already
made in the case Of Norway is work
ing satisfactorily to the Norwegian
owners and shipping interests.
The allied decision finds a legal
basis in the Lex Angaria. or the law
covering the forcible seizure Of ship
for public use under which belliger
ent nation may use neutral tonnage II
adequate compensation is produced
The Germans exercised this right on
British vessels in the Franco-Prussian
war.
GERMANS SWAY DUTCH
Regarding Dutch ships in other
than ports in Great Britain and the
United States. it is believed the ar
rangement includes number of such
vessels in far eastern ports. A tele
gram from The Hague yesterday
stated that the Dutch foreign office
learned that clearance had been re
fused to several Dutch vessels at Sing
apore.
The negotiations with Holland have
been in progress for many months and
|it was expected an agreement would
te reached last Christmas. The Ger
mans. however, were continually
bringing pressure to bear on Holland
and the delay in reaching an agree
nlent operated continuously to the ad
vantage of Germany and the disad
vantage of the allies.
ALLIES FORCE ISSUE
Realizing the difficult position o.
Holland, the allies decided to force ar
immediate settlement.
While Germany has been obstruct
ing the employment of Dutch tonnage
by the allies. she has been enjoying
the use of Dutch barge tonnage or
the German canals to an amount
greater than the ocean going tonnage
which the allies will obtain under the
new arrangement
U-BOAT TOLL GROWS.
British shipping losses for the pas
week total eighteen vessels. the sam,
number as was lost in the two previ
Gus weeks. There is an increase
however, in the number OF large ship:
sunk. Fifteen OF 1900 tons or owe
are reported this week. while in tn,
previous two weeks the ships of larg'
| tonnage numbered fourteen ant
. twelve respectively