The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-28
WHY HOLLAND.
PROTECTS KAISER. 5.
Dutch Government Rejects De
nand of Supreme Council on
Ground of Precedent
rs NOT BOUND BY
VERSAILLES TREATY

Claim Made That Holland Has
Always Been Asylum Of Po-
hitical Refugees
Paris, Jan. 23.-The demand of the
entente powers that Holland deliver
up to them Former Emperor William
eog Germany that he may be tried ''for
a supreme offense against information
al morals and the sanctity Of treaties
has. beer refused by Holland.
In q note delivered this afternoon
TO the foreign Office by the Dutch
lniRister, Holland. takes the ground
that the, Dutch government is not a
party to the peace treaty which con-
denaned William Hohenzollern and
that it can not recognize as an inter
rational duty the necessity to associate
itseH with this ac-. OF high interna-
tsonal policy Of the powers
1T declares also that the constitu-
tent iaw Of the kinsdom and the ira
di6on OF the country, always a
ground of refuge Tor the vanQuished
IN international conflicts, will not per-
nit the government to defer to the
wishes of the entente by withdraw
ing from the former emperor the
benefit Of it's laws and traditions. The
declaration is made that the people
of the Netherlands can net betray
the faith of those who have confided
themselves to Hollands free institu-
tons
The text OF the reply:
t,By verbal note, dated January Is,
1920, given to the envoy Of the queen
at Paris, the powers referring to Art
ic,e .227 Of the treaty, Of Versailles,
demand that thei government Of Hol-
land given into the hands William Of
Hohenze1lern, former emperor Of Ger
many so ,ai1at ne may be tried.
s. ..Supporting this demand they OBJ
serve that if the. former emperor had
remained in. Germany the German
government would. under the terms
.a article g2S of the treaty Of peace,
have been obliged to deliver him.
SIN citing as premeditated viola
tons OF international treaties as well
as systematic disregard of the most
sacred rules of the rights of man
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 Hol-
land would not fulfill her interna-
tional duty if she refused to associate
herself with them within the limit oc
ner ability, to pursue Or At least not
to impede the punishment OF crimes
committed.
They emphasize the special char
acter Of their demands, which con-
template not a juridical accusation but
On act Of high international policy and
they make an appeal to Hollands re-
spect Of law and love OF justice not 70
cover with her moral authority viola
ton by Germany of the essential
principles Of the solidarity OF ma
tons.
."rhe queen has the honor 10 OBJ
se-ve first, that obligations which for
Germany could have resulted from
Article 228 of tie treaty of peace can
net serve to determine the duty OF
Holland, which is not party to IN"
treaty.
.2The government Of the queen, NOV
ed by imprescriptib!e reasons, can not
view the question raised by the de-
mand Of the powers except from the
point Of view Of its duty. 1t was abb
so1utely unconnectcd with the origin
of the war and has maintained, ana
not without difficulty, its neutrality TO
the end. It finds itself then face to
face with facts Of the war in posi-
ton different from shat OF the powers.
1T rejects with energy all suspl-
cion Of wishing to cover with its SOW
ereign right ard its moral authorisy
violations of the essentia! principles
of the solidarity Of nations; but il
cannot recognize an international
d,,ty TO associate itself with this act
of high internatio aal policy of the
powers.
IF in the future there should be
instituted by the society Of nations
an international jurisdiction compel
ent to judge in case Of war deecs
qualified as to crimes and submitted
to its jurisdiction by statute antedatine
The acts committed. it would be fit foi
Holland to associate herself with the
new regime.
"The government of the queen car
not admit in the present case any
other duty than that imposed upon it
by the laws of the Kingdom and ma
t:onal tradition.
''Now. neither, the constituent laws
Of the kingdom, which are based upon
the principles Of law universally rec
ognized. nor respectable secuia'
tra Sition which has made this country
always ground # refuge for thf
ranquished in international conflicts
permit the government Of Holland tt
defer to the desire Of the powers by
withdrawing frora the former en-
peror the benefits IF it's laws and it:
tradition.
Justice and national honor o.
which respect is sacred duty Oppose
+L,c vrIoa NatherI3pd paOOlc. nOVp(