800.85/9–1644
The Netherlands Ambassador (Loudon) to the Secretary of State
HAS–6704
The Netherlands Ambassador presents his compliments to the Honorable the Secretary of State and has the honor to invite Mr. Hull’s attention to the following:
The Netherlands Government has signed an agreement on principles concerned with the continuance of co-ordinated control of Merchant Shipping, reached as a result of a conference held in London from July 26th [19th] until August 5, 1944.
The Netherlands Government has entered into this agreement notwithstanding the grave anxiety it feels on account of the measures it will have to take, after contact with the territories in Europe or in the Netherlands Indies has been made through liberation of these territories or part of them, to ensure that the repatriation of internees and prisoners of war will be effected. For the Netherlands East Indies this will be primarily a problem of sea-transport.
[Page 695]A further very important problem which the Netherlands East Indies will have to face is the transport of the civil servants who will be needed to restore civil administration in the liberated parts of the Netherlands East Indies territories.
The Netherlands Government anticipates some difficulties with regard to these needs, owing to the provision in the above-mentioned agreement that in order to meet the special case of military requirements those ships which have been taken up under agreements made by the United States Government and/or the United Kingdom Government with the other Government having authority for those ships, for use as troopships, hospital ships and for other purposes in the service of the armed forces, shall remain on charter as at present to the War Shipping Administration and/or the Ministry of War Transport as the case may be, under arrangements to be agreed between the Governments severally concerned.
An extensive part of the Netherlands Merchant Fleet comes under this clause.
The Netherlands Ambassador therefore has been instructed by his Government to inform Mr. Hull that the Netherlands Government is confident that in respect of the use of the ships falling under the above-mentioned clause 7 (c) of the Agreement, the special requirements of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will be given the utmost possible consideration.