311.5654 Wilhelmina/5
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Long)
I asked the Dutch Minister to come in this morning to dispose of the case of the S. S. Wilhelmina. The Minister was ill and confined to his bed so I Asked the Minister-Counselor, Baron van Boetzelaer, to come in.
Baron van Boetzelaer said he had very little knowledge of the Wilhelmina and attempted to get additional information on the telephone, but was unable to do so. He promised that he would get information and telephone me this afternoon about 4 o’clock. He is only certain that arrangements have not been made for the release of the libels and for the use of the vessel, though he is under the impression that that arrangement is imminent.
I told him that unless the Netherlands Government made some immediate arrangement that the interest of the United Nations cause would [Page 44] seem to indicate that the United States should exercise its rights under American law and operate the vessel.