File No. 763.72/1678
The Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 12.]
Sir: I have the honor to send you herewith a report of the communication made by the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Second Chamber of the Netherlands Parliament, together with a sufficiently accurate English translation of the same from the Gazette de Hollande of March 24.2
It will be observed that although the tone of the Foreign Minister’s letter to the British Minister here is friendly, and although he fully recognizes the possibility of a mild application of the British order in council of March 11, and although he notes that assurances have already been given that the interests of the Netherlands and her oversea possessions will be amply provided for, nevertheless he closes his letter with the statement that the British order in council makes a serious infringement on the principle of international law, which was established by the Declaration of Paris in 1856, and was ratified by all the powers.
Considering American commercial interests as the effect of the British order in council on them is manifested here, I think there is need of special efforts to obtain the same kind of care and consideration for them on the part of the British Government which Minister Loudon says he has already assured to Netherlands interests. Unless such efforts are made both in Washington and in London, and unless a working cooperation with the Netherlands Oversea Trust Company (which is so particularly useful here to Dutch commerce) can be fostered, I fear that the trade of American merchants through Amsterdam and Rotterdam which has lately flourished to a considerable extent, will be much diminished. A definite advice of the Department of Commerce, and your instructions in regard to any means by which this Legation could be helpful in this matter would be highly appreciated.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩