COPY.
(126888)
No 3302/1915.
H. E. The Governor of Hongkong to H. M. Minister.
313
CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG.
July 21st, 1915.
In continuation of my Confidential letter of the
21st May, I have now the honour to inform you that investi-
gations made by an official of the Hongkong Government
have failed to discover any indication that German firms
in the Colony were subsidised or in any other way direct-
ly supported by the German Government. As the Head
Offices of those firms which were branches of firme in
Germany are situated in that country it is to be surmised
that if subsidies or other financial aid were in fact
paid, they would be paid in Germany. But seeing that the
finance, insurance and shipping of the goods handled by
German firms were almost entirely in British hands, the
inference is that no financial aid was given by their
Government.
2.
I may here remark that the close investigations
made by Mr. T. M. Ainscough, Special Commissioner, Com-
mercial Intelligence Department, Board of Trade, who
has