711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/34: Telegram (part air)
The Minister in the Netherlands (Emmet) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 26—5:45 a.m.]
61. Department’s circular July 17, 2 p.m. Premier and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Colijn sends the following reply:
“The Prime Minister has taken cognizance with great interest of Mr. Hull’s statement of July 16. Dr. Colijn is much impressed by the happy wording of this vade mecum of whoever means well with the future of the human race, and there is not one point contained therein which is not an element of traditional Netherlands policy. The statement seems particularly valuable because it neither sides exclusively with vested interests nor with justifiable aspirations, striking as it does a happy medium between the respect due to established rights and the heed to be paid by any statesman worthy of that high name, to new forces in the international field. Mr. Hull has put before the world a number of momentous questions of an urgent nature of which perhaps that of disarmament with its manifold implications in the field of economics as well as of politics seems the most pressing. Dr. Colijn is also deeply convinced that international organization as it exists today cannot remain unamended for long without gravely imperilling the future and he feels sure that the Netherlands will at all times be ready and happy to contribute actively towards improving international institutions. His hope lies in the ability of those vested with authority to implement the principles contained in Mr. Hull’s statement in order to obtain practical results and he will be glad to cooperate actively to that end”.