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Show RELIEF SHIPS HELD BECAUSE OF SEI RAIDS Germany's Withdrawal of Safe Conduct Agreement Causes Holding Supplies in British Ports. i LONDON. March 5, 6:05 p. m. Sir Maipioe de Bunzen, assistant undersecretary under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, has .given the Associated Press the follow -ling explanation of an agreement between the British government and the Amen-can Amen-can commission for relief in Belgium for unloading and placing in warehouses of 'the cargoes of Belgian relief ships held in the ports of the United Kingdom because be-cause of inability to obtain from Germany safe conducts for them: When the German war zone was declared there were in British waters and on the high seas a large number of relief ships which had sailed from . American ports under German safe conducts, absolutely guaranteeing them against attack. There also were in British ports several ships loaded with foodstuffs bought in the United Kingdom for which safe conduct con-duct also had been promised under the general arrangement between the Germans and the commission. In declaring the war zone, Germany explicitly cancelled all her safe conducts, con-ducts, giving only a few hours for the relief ships then in United Kingdom King-dom ports to clear for Rotterdam. It was impossible to get them away in time. It was also impossible toi communicate with the ships on the high seas, as they were not provided with wireless. Since then the Germans have alleged al-leged that thev accorded these and to other neutral ships a further period of grace. Nobody ever heard of this until the Germans announced that the period had expired. All that the commission or the world know is that the Germans had opened their submarine campaign by sinking two Belgian relief ships. Supplies Accumulating. v There has been a steady accumulation accumula-tion of relief ships in the United Kingdom ports. Their cargoes have been deteriorating, valuable anchorages anchor-ages have been taken up and the whole of this tonnage, which urgently is required to take additional relief cargoes from American ports, has been held in suspense for a month. Tiie commission immediately opened negotiations with tiie Germans through the Spanish, Dutch and Swiss governments, and the entente governments gov-ernments strongly supported their representations. rep-resentations. The only reply which the Germans vouchsafed regarding tiie ships in the ports of the United Kingdom King-dom is that they will reserve any question as to the giving of guarantees guaran-tees for studi ships until they have received! a detailed list of their names and of the ports where they now are. This request was received virtually simultaneously with the sinking of the Dutch liners in the English channel. chan-nel. Assurances Desired. His majesty's government have replied re-plied that, in view of that occurrence, occur-rence, to give any such iniormation to the Germans before the latter have guaranteed absolute immunity to all these ships, would be to lay them open to attack and invite treachery. In view of the evident intention of Germany to hold up this tonnage for the longest possible period, and in view of tiie urgent need of these ships to take fuither cargoes to the starving starv-ing populations in Belgium and northern north-ern France, his majesty's government have agreed ith the commission to discharge these cargoes in the United Kingdom and provide storage for them until the Germans either have given the necessary guarantees to relief ships from the United Kingdom ports , passing Rotterdam or have shown even more clearlv than at present that they do not intend to give such guarantees. Want Destructive Help. Meanwhile a regular supply of food-st food-st iiffs for Belgium and northern France will go on in ships passing under Germa n safe cond nets from American ports to Rotterdam. The position, therefore, is as follows fol-lows : His majesty's government have respected re-spected and will respect property of ' the commission In these cargoes. All that they have done is to provide storage room for foodstuffs which the Germans are apparently anxious to hinder reaching Belgium and northern north-ern France. On the other hand, the Germans already twice have broken their safe conducts and destroyed property of the commission. By this act of faithlessness they have struck one blow at the work of relief. They now invite ills majesty's government to assist them in destroying more relief si ups by informing them where the ships are and consequently how they ca n best be a ttacked when they set sail. To satisfy the German demands de-mands would be to become accomplices accom-plices in their crimes. |