File No. 656.119/608
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin)
263. For Sheldon [from War Trade Board]:
No. 866. Your 988, Embassy 265, July 11, 5 p.m. We feel it will be most unfortunate and possibly involve serious consequences if the Netherlands Government puts forward a proposal as to the rations she expects from the Associated Governments prior to the Associated Governments having made a public and concrete proposition as to the supplies, the delivery of which to the Netherlands they are prepared to facilitate on certain specific terms. We feel that the first public proposal made for supplying Holland’s needs should receive the vigorous and almost united support of the Dutch people. If the Associated Governments make the first public proposal they should have the Dutch public sentiment supporting the proposal and compelling the Netherlands Government to accept the same or throw on the German Government the onus of refusing it on account of [Page 1515] that Government tying up Dutch shipping. From the date of the requisition of Dutch ships the Dutch have been given to understand both by formal and informal statements that we were prepared to place supplies at the disposal of the Netherlands on generous conditions. Four months have now elapsed without so far as we know any concrete proposal having been made to make good the impression given at the time of requisitioning. The Netherlands Government having failed to receive our proposal can now draw a proposal along lines satisfactory to itself and point out to their people that the Associated Governments have practically recognized that supplies were due to the Netherlands as the result of requisition of Dutch ships. If the Associated Governments then refuse this proposal they will undoubtedly lose still further in the popular estimation of the Dutch people. If the proposal is in acceptable form it will still probably not be in as advantageous form as though we had originally framed the proposal and furthermore we will have been put in a position of being forced to give grudgingly that which the Dutch people will believe we have already recognized as due them, and there will then be no opportunity to put ourselves in the position of making a generous and voluntary proposition to the Dutch Government and people. We again repeat most strongly the recommendation which we have been making for some time that the Associated Governments promptly determine upon a concrete proposal to the Netherlands and that this proposal be at once communicated to the Netherlands Government and made public to the Dutch people.