The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-01-29
HOLLAND REFUSES
ALLIES DEMAND
DUTCH GOVERNMENT DECLARES
wIS NOT PARTY TO TREATY.
Tradition to Support Claims.
Reply Sets Forth That Country Has
Always Been Ground Of Refuge
of Vanquished.

Paris, Jan. 23.-The demand of the
entente powers that Holland deliver
ND to them Former Emperor William
Of Germany that he may be tried "for
a supreme offense against interna-
tional morals and the sanctity of trea-
ties" has been refused by Holland.
In a note delivered this afternoon
to the foreign Office by the Dutch
minister, Holland takes the ground
that the Dutch government is not a
party to the peace treaty which con-
demned William Hohenzollern and
that it can not recognize as an in
ternational duty the necessity to as
sociate Itself with ''this act of high
international policy of the powers.
It declares also that the constitu-
ent law of the kingdom and the ira
dition of the country, always a
ground for refugee for the yanquish-
ed in international conflicts, will not
permit the government to defer to
the wishes of the entente by with
drawing from the former emperor
the benefit of it's laws and traditions
Tie declaration is made that the peo-
pie of the Netherlands can not betrav
the faith of those who have ccntided
themselves to Hollands free institu-
tions.
The text of the reply:
"By verbal note, dated January Ii,
1920, given to the envoy of the Queen
at Paris, the powers referring to art
icle 227 of the treaty Of Versailles,
demand that the government OF Hol-
land give into their hands William of
Hohenzollern, former emperor of Ger
many, so that he may be tried.
Supporting this demand they oh
$ aszysI shatsif the former emperor had
remained jim Germany the German
government would, under the terms
of article 22S of the treaty of peace,
have teen obliged to de,lvec hin.
'tIn citing as premed,tatHi viola
tons of International treaties as well
az 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 Hol-
land would not fulfill her interna-
tional duty if she refused to associate
herslf 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 judicial accusation but an
act Of high international policy and
they make an appeal to Hollands re-
sspect Of law and love of justice not to
cover with her moral authority viola
ton by Germany Of the essential
principles of the solidarity Of ma
tions.
"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
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 it's 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 it.
Itself then face to face with facts of
the war in a position different from
that Of the powers.
''It rejects with energy all suspi-
cion of wishing to cover with its sove-
.erign right and it's 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 by the society of nations
an international jurisdiction compe-
tent to Judge in case of war deeds,
qualified as crimes and submitted to
its jurisdiction by statute antedating
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 of
the duty than that imposed upon it