| Show TRADE AROUSES IRE IRE to Shut Germany Germany Ger- Ger jui many many Off From Fish Supplies Supt Sup Sup- t plies Seizes Ships II THREATENS PATENS INDUSTRY 1 lutch People Exercised by hy of British Protest Protest Protest Pro Pro- test Meetings Hel Held d. d t j HE HAGUE Netherlands s Sept pt 2 t Great Britain which has been re- re jadIng ding cal with growing displeasure the io of ot Germany with Ish from Holland has now brought the tho matter to to a l head by seizure of oC some 00 vessels of ot the Dutch fishing fleet Cleet and rid nd they are aro now lying under arrest l Iii n tho the Scotch ports of oC Peterhead AberI AberI Aberdeen Aber Aber- I deen Ler LerwiCk and KIrkwall Unless an nn anI I I Arrangement Is 15 reached the they are aro up- up to be taken before tho the British 11 prize rIzo co court rt on the ground that their I I catches are contraband because the theU U final destination thereof is Germany I s Even before beCore tho the war Germany was 11 the best customer of or tho Dutch fishermen fishermen fisher fisher- effect of the maritime I men but the I blockade of the allies had been to so soI I greatly Increase that country's Purchases purchases pur pur- chases on the fish market markot hero as to toI I live ho it a practical monopoly of or Holand's Hol- Hol I ands and's exports The net export of or vaI valous va- va I lous Ious sorts of oC sea fish in III recent years cars carsI has las as amounted to about tons a I year jear representing a a. value of between and Partly as aI a 3 I result of oC less competition on Oil tho the fishIng fishing fish fish- ing inS grounds of tho the North sea and nd consequent consequent con con- I sequent bigger catches and doubtless i partly artly artl owing to the highly remunerative I 1 tive tivo prices obtainable there was an nn enormous normous Increase In the exports last Jast year ear tons of oC fresh sea fish and salted and smoked herring alone alono being being- Sent nt out of oC the country countr Germanys Germany's share hare of oC the exports of or fresh sea fish Ish and nd salted herring was no less Jess than I 1900 14 OO tons a as against only In and In 1913 Sales to other countries fell feU off orr proportionately America for at ordinary times draws a certain amount of ot herring her her- ring from Holland but the otal ot otI tc 47 tons dispatched thither In 1913 I fell ell to 1593 tons last year yea and now the flie herring herring- export to the United States Beems to have entirely stopped the tor total to- to r tal al for the first six months of the current cur- cur rent year ear being only sight eight tons I I Dutch Are Arc Iou An-Iou I Such figures make malo clear what a hindrance the Dutch fishing industry has const constituted to the allies allies' blockade of r the central powers ind nd sufficiently explain ln their anxiety to bring about a change in this state of or affairs affair partIcular particularly particularly par- par if IC It bo remembered that British fishing trawlers are beIng be- be Ing sent to the bottom holtom of the sea b by German submarines these Dutch craft are are re hauling In their Joa loaded ed nets for tor forthe tho the tho German markets right under the noses of ot British naval guns fe 1 The question Is however howe an o exceedingly exceed exceed- difficult and complicated one for lor some ome to seamen ad others earn earn their livelihood In tho the Dutch fish fish- linT Ing and connected Industries 1101 Hol- lands hands own fish Ish supply Is la also Involved an indemnity it Is argued could not counterbalance the reaching far harmful harm- harm ful effects of oC tho the laying up of or the fish fish- t. t g- g fleet and beyond theo these material conSI considerations Is the fact tact that The Tho with its proud record as asa asa a seafaring power would deeply resent is as is a humiliation tho the annulment of oC its Bright irl ht t to tc fish treel freely on the open North I ea and thus thul carry carryon on one of ot its old- old rest st industries Neutrality forbids the out of oC tho the central powers for tor fora ra a fish tish export prohibition while v a general gen- gen eral export prohibition would cut awa away the main basis of oC the tho Industry's exist exist- I ence Meetings of Cf lC protest have already alread been held b by b various fishing Interests g and the trades unions affected tho press has echoed the same note and and the foreign minister has explained the matter matter matter mat mat- ter In parliament It Is strongly ar- ar from the Dutch side that there can ean be bo no question of contraband as the fish IB in all destined for tor the tho open market In Holland where hero anyone is f. f free to buy On the other hand there theres s Is the fact that a a. company has been b by leading fishing craft owners owners own own- ers dealers and others which acts nets as the buying medium for tor the tho big bip German company compan that undertakes Germanys Germany's I purchases of ot foodstuffs in this countr country under an nn arrangement whereby It may deliver all the fish It can cnn at a n. fixed 01 price viz 1 USO 80 per cask a as against the price of oC GO O Americans cents prevailing I before dore the war A lf However the position may stand from tho of oC view of ef lC point equity It Is U h quite quac poi poi-muio mat now uio of oC London has been abandoned ant and Great Britain has fallen back on the tho there pre existing re- re ex i S t I n g p principles ri nd p 1 es o of oC f maritime law tho the prize court would decide against the tho fishermen It If tho the matter went so far and condemn tho the Dutch craft on th the ground g that tho the ultimate I destination of Oc three-quarters three of oC their catches cargo-catches ma may be bo presume presumed to bo for tho the enemy and therefore contraband contra contra- band But it seems probable an ar- ar will bo be made between th the s British authorities and the Dutch fishIng fishing fish fish- ing interests as the result of ot negotiations now proceeding The suggestion is 18 put forward In one quarter that the owners of fishing craft shall bind themselves to land th the catches of ot a fixed number of oC ships in England and sell them on tho the pUblic market there thero on the understanding that thet the other part of ot the fleet shall b be befree free tree to carry carry their catches to Dutch ports Of or these latter a a. portion would be reserved for tor home heme consumption while the rest of oC tho the fish would be sold soldon soldon on tho the open market as aa now to German Germany Ger- Ger man many or any other purchaser who care cared to buy At tho the same time tim the German government government government gov gov- would in lit Its Ita turn have to bin bind bindI I Itself not to Interfere with Dutch fish fish- In cr craft ft on their wa war to British ports |
