Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-15
GERMANY PLANS
0STARVE OUT
ALL NEUTRALS
Danish Ship Destroyed on
Trip to I~celand-Trade
Board Makes Statement.

latest campaign of ruthlessness aEa1nst
neutral shipping is attributed by the
trade board in a statement last.
night of a deliberate plan for cutting
off the north European nations from
American and allied food supplies and
thereby reducing them through star
walton to political and economic inde-
pendence upon the Teutonic war lords.
While the board makes no reference
to the determination Of the United
States inc Great Britain, disclosed
yesterday, to take yer Dutch ships in
American and allied ports unless The
Netherlands government accepts a
pending economic agreement, its state
ment throws interesting light upon
the situation which led to this deci-
sion. The hope is expressed hat the
neutrals. will contrast the respective
attitude of the United States and Ger
many toward the problem of feeding
them.
Following is the statemeiY
"Germany's war leaders, 90 sing
the submarine war weapon t, irteent
fulfllment Of American agreenr IS to
iced and> relieve European nf;I ais.
A mass Of eli A'ative e~videAce,.and
indications in lAe possession of nthe
war trade board show that Germany
is employing the submarine menace
to prevent neighbor neutrals receiving
any food or avOrs at the hands of
the United States and it's associates
In the war and to coerce these neu-
trails through starvation into political
and economic dependence Upon Ger
many quite as much as to strike at the
communications of it's opponents
Germany's ostensible aim is proclaim
ing the ruthless submarine campaign.
Au.tlicf nlulcaLoll> tend to-show
t!.at the submarines are being used
along similar dog-in-the-manger lines.
to destroy neutral shipping without
regard to its employment in order to
weaken the prospective neutral COM
petitors after the war and. to drag
down neutral tonnage as far as pos
sible toward a position of equality Cor
inferiority) with the German mercan-
tile marine, which has lost between 40
and so per e of its ocean tonnage,
so that the neutral trader may be
equally as badly off as his German
rival for tonnage in the after"the-
war race for commerce.
Attacked Outside Zone.
mo other Interpretation a be
placed, for example, upon h repeat
ed instances of destruction of neutral
Danish ships on voyages between Ice
land and the Danish mother country,
entirely outside of the war zone. nor
uupn the m%ultidinous mistakes
whereby Dutch and other Neutral
ships clinging to h precarious mar
row way left open through the pro-
hibited zone r torpedoed outside the
zone by U-bOat commanders. whose
word that the vessels were within the
zone is later accepted unquestioneo
by the German prize courts. Proni-
nent ship owners in Scandinavian
countries have stated their belief thai
many sinkings were inspired only by
the intention to get rid of neutral ton
mage so as to increase the relative
value. of German shipping available
at the end of the war. Examinations
of the captains of torpedoed ships be.
fore the marine courts in these coun.
tries bear out this belief. the testimo-
lny repeatedly showing that vessels
Ewere attacked far outside> the zone
IN. Threaten Dutch Vessels.
2.'yThe intent of the Germans to pre-
] yept neutrals receiving food and sup.
Il plies under relief agreements con.
Guided with the United States is illus.
trated by the German veto placed
upon the temporary modus vivend:
with yIol!and, providing for the pro.
ships lpaded with supplies for the
Netherlands. alone with II Belgian re,
lief ships, have been waiting in Amer
can ports for weeks n BILE to sail be
Sause of Athe refusal Of Germany tc
'scrmit an. equivalent amount of ton
mage leaving Dutch harbors. the OBJ.
vious plan Of the German authorities
being to gaNher all Dutch ships into
home harhors and then prevent any
Of them from sailing by threats tc
torpedo any vessel leaving Holland
waters. To relieve the food situation
in Holland. the war trade board.h has
finally authorized the 2trans-shipment
OF the food lib Question from the tive
Dutch steamers to the Holland liner
Nieue Amsterdam, which is sailing
shortly.
"The present campaign of threats
and intimidation against the Scandi-
navian reutrals now carried on in the
~emi-official North German Gazette
and other organs of the German press
is obviously intended to frighten the
Northern neutrals from completing
agreements which benefit the neutrals
nrite a. much as the United State:
. and it's associates.
"Now success of the earnest efforts
of the United states government t.
rush shipments of bread AMI grain tt
s~r-itzerland is threatened BY the &C.
ton Of the German submarines which
according to now fully confirmed re
> ports from Switzerland, have made
start on a new policy of ruthlessne s.
by sinking the neutral Spanish.steam'
err Sardinero. secured with great diff
Guilty to carry food to that country
The torpedoing of the Sardinero, scar
rying nearly 1000 IONS of cerealsS TO,
Switzerland, can by no stretch Of an
agination be brought within the scop,
Of Germany's proclaimed submarine
policy, since the vessel vas engages
not in nm enemy. but in a supposed!
safe trade for a neutral state, vas an
route to a port which Germany hay
explicitly promised to leave open /:
safe passage and was torpedoed out
side the prohibited zone. y