Sir,
C.O
50554
198
REC.
RES 3151
Copy of Enclosures from the Hongkong General
Chamber of Commerce.
9th September, 1915.
!
I am directed to place before you the views of the Committee to this Chamber on the subject of the manner in which the Liquidation of the German firme in this Colony! is being directed by the Hongkong Government through the various Liquidators.
In the first place it is now over a year since
the war started between Great Britain & Germany & it will
be a year at the end of next month since local Germans were' interned and their businesses put into liquidation. I am to point this out as generally speaking a year is commonly regarded as a reasonable time in which to wind up the affairs of deceased persons, bankrupt Estates and Company Liquidations. Sometimes this is impossible but the tenden- cy of British law and public opinion is to impress on Exe- cutors, Administrators and Liquidators the desirability of completing their duties within or as near to such date
as is here indicated.
a
The Committee do not see why the usual advantages following such an obligation should not be impressed on
the Liquidators of German firms or that efforts should not
be made to disabuse in their minds the impression they
appear to be under that the Hongkong Government is averse to any activity or keenness in this direction as is evid- enced by the orders curtailing the usual powers of Liquida-
tors. In this connection it is interesting to note that British creditors' letters are now being received in which it appears they assume their debts will be paid off as the liquidation year closes.
It