The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-14
U. S,-ENCLAND
TO SEIZE DUTCH
MERCHANTMEN
Vessels Aggregating Million
Tons Lying Idle in Ports.
Hollands Long Delay in NegO-
tiatiOns Prompts Action.
100000 TONS IN U. S. PORTS
Is Per Cent in British and 10
Per Cent in Other HarbOrS.
Will Begin Using Dutch Ships
for Allies Next Week.
ZOO, 900 TONS IN U. S. PORTS
Will Begin Using Dutch Ships
for Allies Next Week.

London March 14.-BecauSe OF the
long delays in the negotiations with
Holland over Dutch ships in allied
ports and the slowness of Dutch gov
ernment to act in this respect, Great
Britain and the United States have
reached an agreement to end the ne
gotiations and take over all such ships
next week for the use of the allies
The amount of tonnage made avail
able to the allies thru the Dutch ar
rangements is 100000 tons, OF whlcn
20 per cent is in the United States. Is
per cent in British ports and 10 per
cent in other allied ports
Owners Will Lose Nothing.
Every precaution will be taken to
sa feguard 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
Made Deal With Sweden.
A similar arrangement already
made in case of Sweden is working
satisfactorily to the Swedish owners
and shipping interests. The allied de-
cision finds a legal basis in the Lex
Angaria or the law covering the fore
ible seizure of ship for public use
under which a belligerent nation may
use neutral tonnage if adequate COM
pensation is paid. Germans exercised
this right on British vessels in the
F'ranco-Prussian war.
AS regards 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 East ports. A telegram
from The Hague yesterday stated that
the Dutch foreign office had learned
that clearance had been refused to
several Dutch vessels at Singapore.
Germany RIOcEad NoonfiatinnS
The negotiations with Holland have
been in progress for many months and
it was expected an arrangement would
be reached last Christmas. The Ger
mans. however, were continually
bringing pressure to bear upon Hol-
land and the delay in reaching an
agreement operated continuously to
the advantage of Germany and the dis
advantage of the allies.
Realizing the difficult position of
Holland, the allies decided to force an
immediate settlement. While Ger
many has been obstructing the en-
ployment of Dutch tonnage by the al
lies. she has been enjoying the use of
Dutch barge tonnage on the German
canals to an amount greater than the
ocean-going tonnage which the allies
will obtain under the new arrange
ment-
Allies Need Ships Badly.
Washington. D., C. March 14.-After
months of delay and unsuccessful ne
gotiations with The Netherlands, the
United States and Great Britain have
decided to take over on March 1S for
allied use all Dutch ships in allied
ports unless The Netherlands govern
ment accepts an agreement to that
purpose before that time. This will
bring practically a million tons of
ships to the aid of the allies at a time
when they are sorely needed.
The Netherlands minister, Augustus
Phillips, had an engagement with
President Wilson today and it was ex-
pected he would present from his gov
ernment a final appeal that the action
be delayed or at least modified.
There are no indications. however,
that the allied governments will re-
cede from their decision. In fact a
final communication is understood all
ready to have been presented at The
Hague by the British and American
diplomatic representatives
VIII Help Holland, Too.
In addition to being recompensed
for the loss of any of the ships, the
Dutch are to receive liberal compen-
sations in export privileges of bread
stuffs which they need badly
German pressure is expected to de-
ter The Netherlands government from
accepting the greement the allies
propose and the taking over of the
ships under international law is looked
upon as logical solution and not en-
tirely an unfortunate one for Holland.
officials and diplomats here have
no fears that the taking over of the
Dutch ships will force Holland into
the war as has been predicted in some
quarters. They are certain that Hol-
land will continue her policy of neu-
trality. The taking over of all the
Dutch fleets is the grea test move of
its kind since the beginning of the
war.