The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-01-27
REFUSAL. BY HOLLAND
TO DEMAND OF ALLIES
Dutch Government Declares it is Not
Party to Treaty.-Traditions
Called on to Support Claims.

liver up to them Former Emperor
William of Germany that he may be
tried 'for supreme offense against
international morals and the sanctity
of treaties" has been refused by
Holland
In note delivered this afternoon
to the foreign office the Dutch min
lister, Holland takes the ground that
the Dutch government is not party
to the peace treaty which condemned
William Hohenzollern and that it can
not recognize as an international duty
the necessity to associate itself with
this act of high international policy
of the powers
1t declares also that the constitu-
tent law of the kingdom and the ira
dition of the country, always a
ground of refuge for the vanquished
in international conflicts, will not per-
NIT the government to defer to the
wishes of the entente by withdrawing
from the former emperor the benefit
of it's laws and traditions. The dec
laration is made that the people Of
the Netherlands can not betray the
faith of those who have confded
themselves to Hollands free institu
tions.
The fayf Of the ren1y.
s'By verbal note, dated January Is,
1920, given to the envoy of the queen
at Paris, the powers referring to
Article 227 of the treaty of Versail-
les, demand that the government of
Holland give into the hands William
ofHohenzollern, former emperor of
Germany, so that he may be tried.
Supporting this demand they OBJ
serve that if the former emperor had
remained in Germany the German
government would, under the terms
of Article 22s of the treaty of peace
have been obliged to deliver him.
"In citing as premeditated viola
tions of international treaties as we'll
as a systematic disregard of the most
sacred rules of the rights of man a
number of acts committed during the
war by German authority, the powers
place the responsibility, at least NOR
ally, upon the former emperor.
"They express the opinion that
Holland would not fulfill her interna-
tional duty if she refused to associate
herself with them within the limit of
her ability, to pursue or at least not
to impede, the punishment of crimes
committed.
'They emphasize the special char
acter of their demands, which contem-
plate not a juridical accusation but
an act of high international policy
and they make an appeal to Hollands
respect of law and love of justice not
to cover with her moral authority
violation by Germany Of the essential
of the solidarity of nations.
"The queen has the honor to OBJ
serve, first, that obligations which for
Germany could have resulted from |
Article 22S of the treaty of peace can :,
not serve to determine the duty Of !,
Holland, which is not party to the i
treaty.
"The government of the queen, !
moved by imprescriptible reasons, can /
not view the question raised by the |
demand Of the powers except from
the point of view of its duty. 1t was :
absolutely unconnected with the
origin of the war and has main
tanned, and not without difficulty, it's !
neutrality to the end. 1t finds itself /
then face to face with facts Of the .
war in a position different from that .
of the powers.
''It rejects with energy all suspl- !.
cion of wishing to cover with its SOW
ereign right and its moral authority
violations of the. essential principles
of the solidarity of nations; but it
can not recognize an international
duty to associate itself with this act
of high international policy of the
powers.
eff in the future there should be
instituted the society of nations an
international jurisdiction competent
to Judge in case of war deeds, qualifi-
ed as to crimes and submitted to the
acts committed, it would be fit for
Holland to associate herself with the
new regime.
"The government of the queen can
not admit in the present case any
other duty than that imposed upon it
by the laws of the kingdom and ma
tional tradition.
"Now neither. the constituent laws