File No. 855.48/41
The Minister in the Netherlands ( Van Dyke ) to the Secretary of State
The Hague , October 20, 1914 .
[Received November 14.]
No. 155]
Sir: I enclose herewith an article from the Gazette de Hollande bearing upon the prospect of a shortage of food in those portions of Belgium which have been already conquered by Germany. The publication of this diplomatic correspondence between the Netherlands Foreign Minister and the German Minister at The Hague, has been taken in the Netherlands as indicating an effort on the part of Germany to evade the responsibility of providing food for impoverished Belgium. For this reason the correspondence has aroused considerable indignation among the Dutch.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Extract from “La Gazette de Hollande,” October 19, 1914
Official Correspondence With Germany
The German Legation publishes certain correspondence which has passed between the German Minister and the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of the provisioning of Belgium. It claims at the same time that these documents prove—as opposed to Belgian official allegations—that the German Army authorities have done their best to prevent any distress in Belgium, and suggests that if their measures have not been so successful as expected it is no fault of the German Army authorities. The correspondence is appended: