Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-04-20
LANSING ANSWERS
DUTCH PROTEST
Defends Taking over. Of AoI'
lands Ships.
A. Benefit; NOT INJUSTICE
Memorandum Made Public In Wash
inoton To Show That America
Only Followed Out
Agreement.

Washington.-America's reply to
the recent statement of the Neither
lands government bitterly protesting
against and denouncing the action OF
the United States in taking over Dutch
ships in its ports was made public In
the form of a memorandum by Secre-
tary Lansing, a copy of which has
been sent to the Netherlands lega-
ton. Pointing out that the Neither
lands government itself does not Ques-
ton the legality of the act, Mr.. Lans-
ing devotes himself to demonstra-
ton that it was an act of necessity
resulting from Germany's menacing
attitude which prevented Holland
from fulfilling her engagements and
that instead of an injustice the step
results in real benefits to the Dutch
shipowners and people.
The memorandum follows, in part:
''The Netherlands government first
declares that the very presence Of
Dutch ships in our ports resulted
from our detention of them with an
unfriendly hand. While our right to
refuse bunkers and cargo licenses is
conceded, friendship, it is said, should
have led to the garnting of special
privileges in favor of the subjects Of
friendly state. Our own supply of
bunker coal at seaboard has been in
adequate for our pressing national
needs The cargoes which were de-
manded were largely of grain, Of
which our own reserves are ali too
low. The bunkers, if granted, would
have served to carry this grain to
the Netherlands, where, as events
have served to carry this grain to
the Netherlands, where, as events
served to release equivalent foodstufs
for the enemy. Such action upon our
part, whatever its intention. would
in fact, have been an act beneficial
to the enemy and having no relation
to our friendship to the Netherlands.
Zone year ago the United States
abandoned it's neutrality and pledged
its entire resources of life and treas
ure to insure the triumph of democ-
| racy over autocracy and to assist to
save the world from the blight OF
militarism. AS a result of a species
of naval warfare directed against bel.
ligerents and neutrals alike which
the Netherlands government have
themselves declared to be illegal,
there has during this period existed
shortage of shipping which threat
ems to postpone at frightful cost he
ultimate victory. This has created
an emergency which in magnitude
and significance has seldom if ever
before been equaled.
During this period there have been
lying in ports of the United States
and subject to its jurisdiction and
control approximately 100000 tons Of
ships of Netherlands registry. At any
time within a year the United States
might have exercised it's right to put
these ships into a service useful to It
Yet it forebore and for many months
patiently negotiated, first in Washing
ton and then in London, until finally
the temporary agreement of Januar,
25 was entered into. No sooner wal
this agreement concluded than i
broke down under German threats o.
violence which overruled the will o.
the Netherlands government ex
pressed therein.
"Then, and only then, did the Unit
ed States take steps to accomplish
through the exercises of it's own RICH
that which it was hoped could hav'
been accomplished by agreement, ant
which the Netherlands government
had been willing in part so to accom-
p1ich