Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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NOT. The only product that the government continued to obtain on behalf of its citizens
. 27
was gram.
Thanks largely to the efforts of the British economic delegation in The Hague,
headed by Sir Francis Oppenheimer, the Trust managed to gain the confidence of both the
British and French governments. Late in December 1914, both Allied powers recognised
that goods consigned to the company were guaranteed to remain within the Netherlands: in
return, the Trust ensured that it administered all sea-borne imports.28 The relationship was
mutually beneficial: the Dutch received goods from its colonies, the United States and
European neutrals, while the Allies prevented these imports from reaching the Central
Powers?9 The NOT was so successful that other neutrals, including Norway, Denmark and
Switzerland, subsequently set up similar trade companies. 30
In fact, the NOT established such good tenns with the Allies, and especially Great
Britain, that on several occasions Gelmany accused it of being Britain's puppet. 31 Few of
the Trust's decisions favoured the Central Powers, while almost all of them complied with
Allied requests. When the Allies compiled "black-lists" of neutral merchants known to
trade with the enemy, the NOT prevented these traders from attaining consigmnent
guarantees. 32 The trustees even notified High Command of black-listed companies and
individuals, in an attempt to ensure compliance with NOT regulations at the borders. 33 By
mid-1916, when the NOT was at the height of its power, the Dutch government hardly
featured at international trade negotiation tables. Both in its relationship with the
belligerents and its control over merchants, the NOT acted almost as a "state within the
state", with a staff of several thousand people. 34 As a private company, it did not have to
comply with the neutrality standards of the government. Therefore, it was able to accept
27 Keller, N.D. T. p. 31; Smit (ed.), Bescheiden betrefj'ende de buitenlandsche politiek van Nederland 1848 - 1919.
Derde Periode 1899 - 1919. Vierde Dee11914 - 1917 p. 60, fnl. See also: Dutch Minister in London to Dutch
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1 October 1914, in Ibid. p. 138.
28 British Temporary Business Representative in The Hague to the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 26 December
1914, in Ibid. pp. 271 - 272. For a list of items administered by the NOT see: "Nederlandsche Overzee
Trustmaatschappij" [Netherlands' Overseas Trust Company] 19 February 1919, in ARA, "Archieven van de
Generale Staf" entry no. 2.13 .70, inventory no. 581.
29 Frey, "Bullying the neutrals" p. 232.
30 Frey, "Trade, Ships, and the Neutrality ofthe Netherlands" p. 545.
31 Vandenbosch, Dutch Foreign Policy p. 113; Baer, "The Anglo-German antagonism" p. 113.
32 Ibid. p. 121.
33 Secretary of the Netherlands' Overseas Trust to Lieutenant-Colonel C. van Tuinen (General Staff), 17 August
1917, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Staf" entry no. 2.13 .70, inventory no. 581. See also: copies of black-lists
in this same folder.
34 Smit, Tien studien p. 90; Ritter, De Donkere Poort Volume 1, p. 175.