The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-15
Six Hundred Thousand Iona
in Various Ports Will Be
Added to Navy
VESSELS ARE NEEDED
| TO HURRY ARMIES
TO BATTLE FRONT
Full Compensation L. 10 Be-
Made to Dutch Owners. Bue
Action Signifies Intent 30
Win the War

Washington. March 14.--six sum@
dred thousand tons of Dutch shipping
In allied ports are to be taken over
by the United States and Great Britain
to speed the movement of American
troops to France.
Fun compensation Is To be made fa
the Dutch owners. and generous pro-
visions are to be made to insure food
for Holland. This was enphassx@d i'm
official circles
Taken only after painstaking con.
sideration, the action emphasizes aa
no single act in months President W.T.
sons will to win the war
The additional tonnage 400 ,00@
tons of which are in American por4xs
will make easily possibis the exscu-
ton of the new orders that have gons
forth from the White House to speed
up the armies to France.
The effect OF the action, which As
expected to be taken within four days,
ia to round up finally to the uses OF
the United States and the allies for
the period OF the war all neutral ship
ping of the world.
The proposition before Holland NJ
to place her ships In the serv1ce OF
the allies voluntarily before March 1g
or have them reduisitioned. With n
German gun pointed at her head. ts
La not expected that she will sntsw
Into d voluntary arrangement.
Holland Files Protest
The Netherlands minister. Aus ustws
Phillips, recently arrived in Amerfca.
saw President Wilson this afternoon
st the White House. He la undss-
stood TO have fled n formal protest
against the proposition advanced.
There is. however. no suggestion that
Holland will be driven by the act into
war on the side of Germany. Though
probably declining the terms laid
down. it is recognized on all sides that
the proposition to requisition the ships
is an entirely legal one in interna~
tional law. Just as the belligerents In
Europe at the outbreak of the war
in Europe did not hesitate to seize
the private automobiles of citizens of
neutral countries touring the CONT
nent. so the United States and tha
allies have the right to requisition
the ships OF neutrals lying in their
ports.
Moreover. there LIS every dispose
ton TO treat Holland with the great
est generosity. Her greatest need Ia
food. In this respect she Ia not far
from actual famine. Regardless oe
the expectation that she will refuses
to agree to the plan. she will get all
the food she needs. II she is blocked
In this It will be by Germany. And
Germany must bear the blame oe
starving her. This ia the attitude or
the American government as accu-
rately expressed as possible on the
officials.
The particulars and terms of the
transaction are these:
'Of the 100000 tons OF Dutch
shipping. approximately 100000 ars
In allied ports, distributed approx
mately as follows: In United States
ports 400, 900. In British ports 1907
600, and In other allied ports 100. 600.
They have been tied UP In these be-
cause OF the unwillingness of the Uni
ted States and the allies to give them
carEoes unless under guarantees not
only that goods would not go to Ger
many. but that some of Hollands ton
mage. sorsly needed. should be made
available to the allies needs"
In American Ports.
The 400. 900 tons in American ports
represent seventy ships. thirty-five OF
which are now in dry dock having
their huiis scraped. and which will
be available for use almost fmme-
diatsiy. The other thirty five are en-
gagged in American coastwiss and
South American trade.
In taking over the 100000 toms tn.
allies agree that Holland may send
TO their ports without fear of further
ed to carry to Holland the fod aha
needs. transport supplies for Belgian
relief, maintain Hollands colonial
trade and bring to her ports food
from Argentine. Moreover, the al
lies engage to see to 1t that Holland
gets the food she needs under con-
ditions. of course, that with prevent
any traffic In foodstuffs between Hol-
land and Germany.
Furthermore. not only will generous
compensation be made for the use
of the ships taken over. but guaran
tees will be given that any lost will
be replaced after the war. and all
repairs made to keep them In excel.
lent trim in order that Holland, after
the war may resume her normal trade
without being handicapped by lack
OF ships.
These engagements. virtually and
with one exception. were those which
the United States and the allies under
took to assume in the long and finally
futile negotiations that preceded th~
decision to reouisition. The excep.
ton In that the allies, under the volun-
tary ARRANGEMENT. would have seen
to il that none of the ships charters
would be used in the war zone or In
transporting troops or supplies to this
allies. They would have been used
simply to relieve allied shipping nov
engaged In overseas trade but sorely
needed for the business OF this war.
Unity IN Arttons
Direct contact hetwesn congress and
the administration In tbs conduct ~
thA var was established tnnfwht NheN