The Dominion. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1918. A NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 154, 19 March 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1918. A NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT

The Anglo-American decision to utilise Dutch shipping is to be wel-comed-not only_ on,account of the considerable gain of tonnage involved, but _ much broader grounds. By' their action in this matter the Allies have made it plain that they are determined to draw upon all resources within reach in defeating Germany's attempt _to cripple their vital sea_ communications and that they will not allow the timidity of neutral nations terrorised by German piracy and German threats to stand in the way of an effective prosecution of the war. The arrangement with Holland means that hy a resolute and decided policy the Allies have checkmated Germany's attempt to confine a largo number of neutral ships to harbour at a time when an adequate ' supply .of shipping has become _ visibly a condition of Allied victory. The Allies have acted in the only fashion consistent with' common sense and a determination to win the war. In dealing with Holland the Allies had to determine whether they should allow that country, by laying up its'ships,'to render, passive but very material assistance to Germany. The action taken by the Allies is amply justified by the consideration that, left to her own devices, Holland would have become the useful ally of Germany merely by holding, her ships in The furious anger which the Allied action has awakened in Germany is quite understandable, for this action represents obviously one of the most successful blows yet struck against submarine piracy. So long as neutral shipß cowered in port they were to be placed for practical purposes in the same category as those which have been sent to the bottom by enemy submarines. By the arrangement with Holland the Allies gain something like a million tons of shipping, and by enforcing similar conditions on other neutrals they will still further increase their available supplies of shipping. It may be taken for granted that Germany will go to any lengths permitted by her available resources in attempting to counter the Allied move, and that if she abstains from attacking Holland it will be mainly for the reason that it will not pay her to do so. There is no doubt that the action of the Allies on this occasion, is splendidly effective, and that if Germany retaliates only by furious protests and threats and by acts like the seizure of the Belgian relief ship reported to-day, it will be'only because shei js incapable of striking an effective return blow. It is particularly, noteworthy that America had taken a leading part in imposing conditions on Holland which the Allies no doubt intend to' impose .on neutrals generally. Tho United States has in nothing more signally demonstrated its determination to ronder unqualified support to its Allies in shaping a strong war policy. As a matter of fact, nowever, the action now taken in reference to Dutch shipping follows naturally upon earlier developments in Allied l policy._ The American Government has vigorously supported and supplemented the British blockade of Get-many, and tho better utilisation and control of shipping had a prominent place amongst the subjects on which agreements with the _ Allies were reached by the American Special War Mission (headed by Colonel House) which visited Europe in November last. The official report on the work of tho mission states on the question of neutral shipping that '

Tho -whole question of employment of neutral tonnage in lino with tho proposals inado by neutral countrios with respect to this tonnage was exhaustively discussed, and plans looking to tho favourable result of lonnngo negotiations with neutral countries wcro substantially agreed upon. Later information showed that extended negotiations were conducted by Britain, and America with the three Scandinavian countries and Holland. Representatives of the latter country were stubborn in resisting an arrangement acceptable to. the Allies. They were willing that Dutch ships should be put into the South Atlantic and Eastern trade at high charter rates, but objected strongly to oxposing them to tho risks of tho war zone. For a considerable time Holland preferred to keep a large number of her ships (aggregating 700,000 tons according to a recent cable message) tied up in American ports, earning nothing and costing heavily for upkeep, rather than accede to tho Allied terms. She ha? now bcon brought to reason, and of her total tonnage of 1,500,000 about two-thirds, as iu-' formation stands, will be placed at the disposal of tho Allies, while the remaining third will ho available to satisfy her own needs. Norway has

put her ships freely into Allied trade, and Ims suffered heavy losses. She has lost about ono million tons of shipping during the war period out ot a total of approximately 2,500,000 tons, hut this reduction has been in part made good. Even in the ease of Norway it is expected that existing arrangements will bo modified to the advantage of tho Allies. There is much more extended scope for improvement where Denmark and Sweden are concerned (though their mercantile fleets are smaller than that of Norway), and tho arrangement with Holland is of good augury as it bears upon the negotiations 'with these countries. The results thus far achieved by the Allies in their dealings. with neutrals over tho shipping question constitute a big success which will tell heavily in their own favour and against tho enemy. The grand problem facing the Allies is that of assembling the, greatest possible volume of shipping tonnage as rapidly as possible in order that vital services may be maintained and the transportation of American troops expedited to the utmost possiblo extent, The increasing destruction of submarines and the notable fact announced today on tho authority of the American Sccretary'for the Navy that tho world's shipping construction now oxceeds destruction by the underwater craft make it possible to look to the future with confidence. But it is meantime of capital importance to tho Allies that by drawing upon neutral tonnage they are enabled to largely increase their shipping resources at the most critical stage of the war and at tho moment when tho demand on shipping is most acute.