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

Illustration 7: Oppressed (In de verdrukking)
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This Albert Hahn cartoon clearly illustrates the supply difficulties encountered by the Netherlands, crushed between
two belligerents. The caption reads: "Holland: the warring sirs do not leave me much room to do my shopping" ("De
heeren oorlogvoerenden laten me niet veel ruimte om m'n boodschappen te doen")
(Source: Ritter, De Donkere PoortVolume I, p. 172)
After February 1917, however, Gennan pressure on the Dutch to supply their
economic needs became much greater. While the Allies urged them to comply with the
Agricultural Agreements, the Gennans forced them to continue exporting foodstuffs and
ensured compliance by halting essential supplies to the Netherlands. For every tonne of
Gennan coal, steel and timber sold to the Netherlands, the Dutch had to offer a tonne of
food. 124 It became a question of priorities: food or coal. Both were absolute essentials, and
there were not enough local sources of coal (or other fuels) to meet the Netherlands'
domestic needs. 125 Therefore, the Dutch had little choice but to continue supplying
Germany with food, although its exports (and hence its coal imports) were kept to a
124 Moore, Economic Aspects p. 14; Porter, "Dutch Neutrality" p. 140.
125 See: Chapter 9, p. 316.