File No. 656.119/614
The Secretary of State to the Netherland Chargé ( De Beaufort )
Sir: Referring to your notes of May 25 and June 6, in respect to certain ships which you desire to use in transporting grain cereals to Holland, and to an interview on this subject with the President on July 1, I have the honor to inform you by direction of the President that he would be pleased to be informed for his guidance and consideration of the question presented as to whether the Netherlands Government has, since the issuance of the German prize regulation No. 55(c) made a formal effort to obtain the release of tonnage now lying idle in Dutch ports for moving the balance of 100,000 tons of bread grains which is now at the disposal of the Netherlands Government in American ports. If such representations to Germany have been made, the President would be pleased to learn the result thereof.
The President further directs me to say that if no such representations have been made, he finds it difficult to acquiesce in your view that the Netherlands vessels referred to in your communications above mentioned should be taken out of necessary and safe trades and furnished bunkers by the United States out of its limited supply for the purpose of transporting the balance of the cereal grain overseas to Holland while approximately 400,000 tons of Netherlands ships are lying idle in Netherlands ports. Nevertheless, out of friendship for the Government and people of the Netherlands, the President bids me to say that if the Netherlands Government has made or will make to the Imperial German Government, formal and public representations which in the judgment of the President constitute a sincere and earnest effort to obtain release of sufficient vessels now held in Netherlands European ports for transportation of the bread grains above referred to and is unable, as a result thereof, to induce the Imperial German Government to relax its severe and unprecedented restrictions on Netherlands shipping which it is desired to use for the needs of the Netherlands people, the United States Government will embrace the opportunity to offer bunker facilities to the three Netherlands vessels Jason, Cornelis and Amsteldyk now in the ports of the United States.
The President wishes me to make it very clear to you that his ultimate decision with respect to this matter will be controlled by the character of the representations made by the Netherlands Government to the Imperial German Government and especially by the measures adopted by the Netherlands Government to give full publicity to such representations and to the answer received thereto so that the people of the Netherlands may be accurately advised as to the facts.
[Page 1511]I have had called to my attention a report to the effect that large shipments of potatoes to Germany are being contemplated by the Netherlands Government, and I should be glad to be advised by you with reference to this report so that I can inform the President respecting it.
Accept [etc.]