File No. 656.119/488
The Minister in the Netherlands ( Garrett) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 25, 2.58 a.m.]
2881. Your 1254, May 22, 6 p.m., received today.2 Press despatch as quoted by you gives a correct statement. It is announced that the convoy will sail on June 5, composed of Hertog Hendrik, the auxiliary [Page 1495] cruiser Tabanan and the steamship Noordam. The convoy is said to be bound for Netherlands India [Indies] with enough coal to carry through without entering foreign ports. The British Minister tells me that he has formally protested by instruction of his Government against the sailing of the convoy, informing the Dutch Government that Great Britain would not recognize it but would exercise the right of search on the high seas if necessary. He adds that Loudon told him that he had telegraphed the Dutch Minister at London in regard to the whole matter. Townley says he does not know the nature of this telegram but, as it went a week or more ago and no further word has come from his Government, he supposes it must have been satisfactory.
- Not printed.↩