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Show MANY- DIFFICULTIES IN EXPORTING CARS Agents Importing Into Neutral Neu-tral Countries Have Trouble, Trou-ble, Says Holland Dealer. Importers in the neutral countries of Europe are bumping into one trouble after another, according to C. A. CJeerkens, a prominent Holland dealer in automobiles who is on a tour of the United Stales. Addressing a conference of dealers and officials at the Packard factory recently. Mr. (leeikens, who is identified with H. Knplebert & Co. at The Haaue, outlined some of the restrictions laid on neutral commerce by the belligerents. The Netherlands Oversea Trust, Mr. Gperkens explained, is the medium through which every Holland importer must work in these troublous times. Before Be-fore the importer can take a Packard car or any other goods into Holland lie must give a heavy bond to the N. O. T. that he will not export the car from the Netherlands. Then he must obtain a shipping permit from the Holland-American line. With the permit in Ins possession pos-session and his bonds all satisfactory, the importer must take a tedious round to set the permit O. K'd by numerous officials. of-ficials. Then he sends the permit to his New York agent, who sees to it that the car Is shipped, complete except for tires. For a time Holland couid get tires in an indirect way from New York to England and thence to The Hague. Now. however, England will not permit the tires to go through at all, because the Germans de- veloped the practice of capturing the rubber-laden ships and taking them into the conquered port of Zeebrugge. The Hollanders, hopeful that the tire situation will improve before long, are still importing automohiles. But in the meantime they are giving used tires the consideration which the faithful servant deserves. Finally, before delivering the car. the importer must exact from the purchaser a bond that neither car nor tires will be sent out of Holland. Mr. Geerkens related re-lated that the Dutch ship Bloinmersdijk, when sunk by the T"-53. was carrying, among other tilings, Packard Twin Sixes and a large shipment of parts. Despite these difficulties, Mr. Geerkens Geer-kens said, Packard cars are in demand in Holland, and every shipment that the Engiebert company is successful in completing com-pleting is quickly taken by purchasers. |