File No. 656.119/473
The Secretary of State to the Netherland Chargé ( De Beaufort)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note dated May 10, 1918, in which you inquire as to whether the Netherlands steamships Jason, Cornelis and Amsteldyk may obtain the necessary bunkers to proceed to Argentine in order to load there grain for the Netherlands Government.
In a memorandum handed to you under date of April 26, 1918,1 dealing with the steamships Hollandia, Stella and Java, reference was made to the repeated assurances heretofore given to your Government that Netherlands vessels lying in Netherlands European ports, if sent to lift foodstuffs offered to be placed at the disposal of the Netherlands Government, would when engaged in such service receive all facilities which the Government of the United States could offer. It was further pointed out that the offer of the United States Government relative to the steamships Hollandia, Stella and Java did not fall within the terms of this general proposal. Nevertheless, this Government consented to an exceptional procedure whereby six shiploads of grain might be dispatched to Holland in part through the utilization of vessels not lying in Netherlands European ports. It was suggested, however, that further supplies of bread cereal should be obtained through the lifting of such supplies by vessels dispatched from the Netherlands expressly for this purpose, the United States Government understanding that there is in Dutch European ports a large amount of Dutch shipping which could be utilized in the manner suggested.
In reply to your note of May 10, I have the honor to inform you that the Government of the United States adheres to the position set out in its memorandum of April 26, 1918, above referred to. The Government of the United States cannot consent to supply bunkers to send the steamships Jason, Cornelis and Amsteldyk to Argentine and thence to the Netherlands with grain, when there are lying idle in Dutch European ports very large amounts of Netherlands shipping which at any time since March 20, 1918, could have been, and which at any time may be, sent to lift the bread cereals offered to be placed at the disposal of your Government, in which service these [Page 1491] vessels would receive bunkers and such other facilities as the Government of the United States can offer and be free from requisition under assurances heretofore given.
Accept [etc.]
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