Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-14

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here q well AZ abroad. The countries affected BY the
announcement. are Norway, ssweden,& Denmark ana Hol-
land. which will now be permitted to import increased
Of essential commodities from America and
the other victorious powers. A large part Of the s1o,o7s
tons Of Scandinavian shipping now under charter to the
federal government will be almost Immediately returned.
Thus a delicate problem has finally been solved. Ever
since July, 1917. 1t has been worrying statesmen in the
neutral countries as well as in Washington, and views
on the matter were often sharply diverging. 1t will be
recalled that the American government, in conjunction
with those Of the Allied countries, reached the conclusion
trade with neutrals was 1T possible to stop exports and
re-exports to tho Central Powers.
The situation thus created caused much hardship in
the countries concerned. and at times criticism Of the
American and Allied trade policy was quite bitter: it
reached Its climax when the American government took
over all Dutch vessels in certain ports.
1t became necessary to consider the matter In a prac-
teal light. and realizing this, the neutral countries sent
commissions consisting Of trade experts to Washington,
in an effort to effect certain notifications Of the export
embargo. In all cases the goal was reached, and new
agreement were made between this country and the
neutral nations by which the latter were allowed to i'm
port certain quantities of commodities without which
their bardships would have become absolute distress.
Now 1t seems that, the shipping board has decided
to release most Of its chartered Scandinavian and Dutch
as rapidly as possible to the normal trade routes,
and the embargo on exports has been, at least partially,
lifted, so that life in the affected countries may return, to
the normal basis as fast as feasible. n.y.
There has been much mutual misunderstanding in
regard to this matter. In the United States the impression
prevailed that Holland and the Scandinavian countries
re-exported the major part of their American imports to
the central Powers, and in those countries public opinion
-ne ;~,Is~1 - AL:-,- SAH-.- 40 ~.
adopted a policy not consistent with the principles for
which the American army was fighting. The truth lay
midway-as it often does-and this was realized by all
partieS interested as the result of negotiations carried on
during the spring and summer of 1918.
AS far as re-exporting to Germany or Austria was
concerned, it is not denied by the neutrals that it did take
place, but 1t is asserted that it was SO insignificant as to
not be able to influence the development of the war, and
1T was In addition. maintained that q point blank refusal
to trade with the Central Powers would amount to a vir-
tual breach of neutrality-in fact, Germany had repeated
ly intimated that refusal would be considered an act of
belligerency. y
On the other hand, it appears that the shipping
board had gathered too little first-hand information as to
existing in the neutral countries, before it is
its embargo proclamations; in some cases it has been
acknowledged there was present some actually mislead-
ing information which resulted in sufferings that had not
been necessary, at all.
The very fact that notifications were later agreed
to was sufficient to indicate that the shipping board au-
mitted it had acted without being thoroughly informed.
And the delight that was expressed in most neutral coun-
tries when the news Of the modification was received
this week tended to show merely that the demands pre-
sented an a protest against the all-inclusive embargo had
been essentially just. -
There has never been any fear, Of course, that Amer
lea intended to keep the shipping chartered for war pur-
~0eae 4. - >-41,l>
it can be easily understood why a wave of Joy Just now
sweeps over the neutral countries in consequence of the
dropping OF trade bars. One day some of these neutrals
will contribute their story to the record of the world war,
and it will be seen that while their neutrality was en-
forced, their unofficial attitude was in all cases that Of
favoring literally the issues for which the United States
the European Entente fought.