ore. Sweden in return was to receive licenses for such essentials as foodstuffs, feeds, fertilizers, oil, etc., with adequate guarantees against benefit accruing to the enemy. Under the tonnage provisions Sweden was required to place 200,000 deadweight tons of the Swedish merchant marine in the service of the Allies to trade in the war zone and an equal amount for service outside the war zone, one-half of the charters to be made with the United States and one-half with the Interallied Chartering Executive in London. Rates were provided both for the vessels trading within the war zone and for those trading without. Sweden was also to employ at least 150,000 deadweight tons of her shipping in regular overseas lines which were specified in the agreement and included trade from Sweden to Australia, South Africa, the Persian Gulf, India, United States, Mexico and the east and west coast of South America. The return cargo in all of these lines was to be approved by the Allies and was in the majority of the lines to consist of cargo from the United States to European ports." Requisition of Dutch Tonnage Negotiations between the American and Allied Governments and the Dutch Government began as early as July, 1917. In December, 1917, delegates of these governments met in London to discuss a general agreement. In January, 1918, the terms of such an agreement were concluded by the delegates, together with a temporary working arrangement to be in effect pending ratification of the final agreement. Everything was, however, referred to the Dutch Government for ratification. Time passed without ratification taking place. The obstacle, it was stated by President Wilson, was the threat of German reprisal. Accordingly, on March 7th, a final proposal, expiring March 18th, was made to Holland. When this failed of acceptance, the American and Allied Governments immediately seized the Dutch merchant tonnage within their respective territorial waters. By this action slightly less than 1,000,000 deadweight tons of Dutch shipping went into the service of the Associated Governments. These Governments worked out a compensation agreement with the Dutch shipowners, and, at the same time, the United States placed at the disposal of the Government of the Netherlands 100,000 tons of grain."1 40 APPENDIX, pp. 266-268, 298-299, 320-321. 41 Id., pp. 68-69, 260-264, 288, 295-299, 307-310, 329-332, 334-340. The Agreement With Denmark Denmark was the last of the neutral countries to make a tonnage and trade agreement. In the summer and fall of 1917 the British Government obtained a number of Danish vessels in return for licensing exports of coal to Denmark; but it was not until September, 1918, that a final agreement was reached with the Danish Government. By that agreement 265,000 tons of shipping was turned over to the United States and 200,000 tons to Great Britain, 325,000 tons being left at the disposal of the Danish Government to carry the rations licensed for export to that country." AGREEMENTS WITH NEUTRALS THE RESULT OF EMBARGO POLICY. The agreements made in 1918 with the northern neutrals, including Sweden, were the result of pressure brought to bear upon these countries by the action of the Government of the United States outlined above. By these agreements the trade of these neutral countries was controlled so that benefit to the Central Powers was reduced to negligible proportions, and great quantities of neutral tonnage were secured to replace the losses caused by the submarine. The last half of the year 1917 and the first part of 1918 were the months of intensive pressure upon the northern neutrals. During this time the embargo upon exports to these countries was for all practical purposes absolute, and no neutral vessel once within the control of the United States was permitted to escape. The method of control was the refusal to clear any neutral vessel without a license for its bunkers, even if those bunkers had been brought with the vessel into the American port. The only condition upon which such licenses were granted was an undertaking by the owner that none of his vessels should operate in any manner not approved by the United States and that the voyages of the licensed vessel should be subject. to its direction. 42 Id., pp. 271-272, 288, 326-327. CHAPTER THREE THE DETENTION OF KRONPRINS GUSTAF ADOLF AND PACIFIC. Against the broad background of the military needs of the Associated Powers, told in the foregoing chapter, occurred the detention of the M.S. Kronprins Gustaf Adolf and Pacific. The principal characters, in the order in which they appear in this narrative, are: Emil Lewenhagen, Master of the Johnson Line motor vessel, Kronprins Gustaf Adolf. Adolf Meyer, Master of the Johnson Line motor vessel, Pacific. Gösta Ekström, American representative of the Johnson Line, stationed at New York City. Philip S. Dean, New York lawyer, retained by Ekström. George Dalzell, Washington lawyer, retained by Dean for Ekström. A. R. Nordvall, Delegate of the Royal Swedish Government to the United States. Vance McCormick, Chairman of the United States Exports Council; later Chairman of Exports Administrative Board; later Chairman of War Trade Board. L. L. Richards, Director of the Bureau of Transportation of the United States War Trade Board. W. A. F. Ekengren, Minister of Sweden to the United States. Prentiss Gray, Director of the American office of the Commission For Relief in Belgium. THE VESSELS ARRIVE IN AMERICAN WATERS. In the latter part of June, 1917, two of the larger Johnson Line vessels were plying the waters of the Atlantic off the coast of the [131100 0-32- 41 United States. Coming from the north in ballast, with her hull damaged as the result of an accident in the harbor of Halifax, was the motorship Kronprins Gustaf Adolf, headed for New York harbor to undergo repairs. Under the command of Captain Lewenhagen, she had left Sweden in May, 1917, in ballast for New York to take on a cargo of sugar, and carried in her tanks on arrival in American waters some 350 tons of fuel oil. This oil had been taken on in Sweden, and was amply sufficient for the return voyage. Anchoring in New York on June 23rd, the Kronprins Gustaf Adolf was drydocked for the purpose of repairing the damaged hull, and there remained until the 27th of September, at which time her story may be resumed.1 Coming from the south en route from the west coast of South America to Sweden was the motorship Pacific. She had left Mejillones, Chile, with a cargo of nitrate of soda, owned by and consigned to the Swedish Superphosphate Company for use as fertilizer, which was at that time badly needed in Sweden. To obtain instructions from her owners as to her next port of call, the vessel entered and anchored at Newport News, Virginia, on the 1st of July, 1918. At that time she had in her tanks 871 tons of fuel oil, again amply sufficient for the voyage from the United States to Sweden.2 On July 9th the President of the United States proclaimed an embargo on the export of certain products, including fertilizers, except when licensed by him or by the administrative officers to whom he had delegated his authority. Under the statutes then in force, a vessel could not clear from an American port unless a manifest of the ship's cargo was delivered to the Collector of Customs at the port; and under the Espionage Act of June 15th, 1917, the Collector was required to refuse clearance to any vessel carrying a cargo which came within the embargo. Penalties for the master, and forfeiture of the vessel, were provided for departure without securing proper clearance papers.* THE DETENTION OF THE PACIFIC BEGINS. Upon his arrival at Newport News, Captain Meyer, the master of the Pacific, notified Gösta Ekström, the American representative of the Johnson Line, who was stationed at New York. While arranging |