Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-21
u. S. AND BRITAIN
Continued from page l

This agreement provided, among
other things, that 10000 tons Of Dutch
shipping should, at the discretion Of
the United States, be employed partly
in the service Of Belgian relief and partly
for Switzerland on safe conduct 10 Cctte,
France and that for each ship sent 10
Holland in the service of Belgian relief a
corresponding vessel should leave Holland
for the United States. Two Dutch ships
in the United States ports with cargoes Of
f0odstuffs we're 10 proceed 10 Holland,
similar tonnage being sent IN exchange
from Holland 10 the United States for
charter AZ IN the case of other Dutch
ships living in the United States ports
AGREEMENT WAS TEMPORARY.
"The agreement was explicitly tenn
porary in character and being designed
to meet an immediate situation, prompt
performance was Of the essence, The
Dutch government at once disclosed, how
eyer. that it was unwilling or unable 70
carry out this chartenng agreement,
which il had itself proposed
"rhe first desire Of the United states
was 10 secure nj once shipping, as con
fcmplatcd by the agreement, 70 trans
port to Switzerland fOodstufis much
needed by the State. One difficulty after
Ntf<s
the chartnring of Dutch ships for Swiss
relief. and although the reason was never
formally expressed 1t was generally known
that the Dutch ship owners feared lest
their ships should bc destroyed by German
snbmarlncz. even though on an GRAND
uf mercy and though not travcrsing any
II the so-callcd danger zones proclaimed
by fhc German government That this
fear nas not wholly unJustiiicd has un
happily bccu shown by the recent act
| of hc German government IN sinking
| the spanish ship ~urduero outside the
| danger zone when carrying a cargo ~
| gram for ~wiizcrland anti after tho sub
| marine commander had ascertained this
| fact bv an Inspectlu Of the ship's paper.
| In respect of Belgian relief, the Dutch
! government expressed It's present M
! ability 10 comply with thc agreement on
+ hc ground that the German government
/ hid gwen Holland 10 understand hat II
! would iorcIhly prevent the departure from
! Holland of he corresponding ships, which
! under the agreement we're ~ leave coInci-
! IDENTIFY for the nlfrd States The Dutch
! government even felt ltsclf unable to
! secure the two cargocs of foodstuffs which
/, under the agreement It vas permitted 10
/ secure, =Incc here again the German
/ government intrrvcned and threatened 10
/ destroy The equivalent Dutch tonnage
| whlch under thc agreement vac % leave
/ Holland for the mted states.
Ne Rrprr roR TWO uo~rH-
Ncarlv two months have fiapser
-lncc fhc making of he Temporary char
/ tcring agreement, and the PROPOSED
| general agreement has lain even ionge
| without reply % the part q Holland
| Meanwhile German threats hav" grow
| more violent vlth a view ~ pre~entIni
any permanent agreement and of forcin
Holland - violate any temporary agree
ncnt
on March : through Great Britain
final proposal expiring On the Stf
vas submitted - Holland reply IA
been received which, while ~ itscii IN
acceptable might under other cond
tlon- have served 1s q ba.sis for turtle
negotiations But the events 70 ~hc
| have alluded had served @ demonsfrat
concuSively that We have been attempt
ing % uegotiatite where the essential basi
fOr an agreement, namely. the meeting 2
free wills IS absent Even were an agree
ment concluded, there IS lacking ina
power of independent action which alon
can assure performance
government. profoundly sympathiz
with the difficulty of her position unde
the menace oi military power whlc
has in every way demonstrated its dlsdaI
oi neutral rights But. since coercio
does III fact exist. no alternative IS lei
TO IL but 10 accomplish. through N
exercise of our lndisputable rights ~
sovereign. that which Is 80 reasonab
mai n other circumstances, We roui
be confident of accomplishing i ry agre'
rnent
PLENTY OF TONNAGE LEFT.
steps are accordingly being AXE
j ro put nio our service Dutch Shippln
wing within our territorial jurisdiction
rms action On our part and the simll.
action which j. being tahen by govern
ments associated with u leaves 10 10
, land ample tonnage for her domest
and colonial needs.
We have informed the Dutch go
ernment hat her colonial trade vi
be facilitated and hat she may at on
send ships from Holland 70 secure u
! bread cereals which her people requlr
, These ships will be freely bunkered an
will be immune from detention on Ol
part.
The liner Nieuw Amsterdam, NmC
came within our jurisdiction under Q
agreement for her return. viii. ~ cours
be permitted AT once 10 return to hoIlan
Not 0niv 50. but she viii be authonzt
10 carry back with her the TWO cargoes
ioodstuTs which Holland would ha7
+ secured under the temporary charterlI
, agreement had not Germany prevented
Ample compensation will be paid
: the Dutch owners Of the ships which W
! be pat into our service and suitable pr
vision viii be made To meet the posSlblht
OF ships being lost through enemy actIo
II IS our earnest desire to safegua
, to the fullest extent the interests
Holland and Of her nationals BY exerci
: ing in this crisis our admitted right
control all property within our terrific
We 90 no wrong TO Holland The mann
, / IN which We proposed 10 exercise Il
! right and our proposals made 10 Hollai
| concurrcntly Herewith cannot. | hchcN
fail 10 evidence 10 Holland the sinceri
of car friendship toward her
CHICAGO CATTLE MARKET.