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

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ships in Antwerp that GenTIany had requisitioned in October 1914. As well, Gennany
expected the Dutch to increase their agricultural and cattle exports and ease credit
arrangements between the two countlies. 173 It seemed most probable to the Dutch (and
Allies) that Gennany was on the verge of declaring war on the Netherlands, if they did not
agree to the demands.
Long discussions between Dutch, Allied and GenTIan diplomats ensued. The
Netherlands was willing to accept many of the demands, as long as GenTIany did not
declare war and as long as the Allies promised not to retaliate. A major issue of contention
remained the transit of sand and gravel. On 19 Aplil 1918, Gennany reduced its claims: no
weaponry would be moved through the Netherlands, but shoes, clothes and food for the
GenTIan anTIies in Belgium should not be stopped. Mercantile transit trade should be
unlimited (as long as goods were accompanied by guarantees of civilian consumption). In
addition, and this was most contentious, GenTIany wanted 200,000 tonnes of glit and sand
transported without an accompanying guarantee of civilian use. 174 Although some progress
was made by late April, no concrete reconciliation on the issue of sand and glit had been
reached. The Netherlands was also unwilling to allow the 36 Gennan ships in Antwerp out
via the Schelde, no doubt because the Schelde was so important to the designs of the
Central and Allied Powers. 175
Ultimately, Germany did not wish to go to war with the Netherlands, although it is
almost certain that if the Dutch had not compromised, it would have done so. General
Ludendorff, especially, had little compunction about threatening the neutral with war. 176
The Dutch authorities took the possible threat very seliously. On 26 Aplil, one military
commander even suggested to Loudon that the Anny should prepare to blow railway
blidges in case the GenTIans tried to force its trains through. 177 Snijders was somewhat
more circumspect about the military threat Gennany posed at that particular time. The
GenTIans had recently launched a massive offensive on the Western Front, absorbing all
their military resources. As he explained to the other military commanders on 23 April,
there had been no evidence that GenTIany was building up any forces on the eastern or
173 Ibid. p. 78.
174 Sanders, "The Netherlands in British Strategic Planning" p. 168.
175 Ibid. p. 169.
176 Tuyll, The Netherlands and World War 1 pp. 211 - 212.
177 Commander Hoek van Holland to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 26 April 1918, in ARA, "Kabinetsarchief e. a.
van het Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken1871 - 1940" entry no. 2.05.18, inventory no. 239.