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commenced a separate action on penalf of each suip, Statement of Claim sent merewitu is the action commenceu in respect of the steamship "Wollowra" and fully sets out the nature of our clients claim.
The Government nave in halu touay as representing the aforesaiu earnings $2, 251, 204,11, and the shipowners con- cerned consider that this sum should be returned to them now that it is not wanted for war purposes and is not required by the home Government for war purposes.
We would point out that at the very earliest opportunity and as far back as 1918 we on behalf of the snipowners con-
cerned wrote to the liongkong Government and pointed out that
the Government's action was without legal authority, that
there were certain forms of legal proceuure which the Govem- ment could auopt for the purpose of carrying out their policy,
but the Government failed to auopt suen courses. The courses
which the Government could have auopteu are set out in our
letter of the 19th April 19ld set out in pararaju s of the
printed petition. Notwithstanding the warnings as to the
legal position the Government of Hongkong took no steps to place their action on a legal basis.
on the btn December 1919 the test action was commenced
in the Supreme Court of Hongkonь. on the Statement of Claim
being fileu we on behalf of our clients in accordance with
the procedure laid down by the Coue of Civil Procedure of the
Colony of Hongkong applied to His Excellency the Governor of
Hongkong for his fiat to the continuance of the proceedings,
and we continually from time to time pressed for the granting
of the fiat without avail, In June 1921 the Hongkong
Government formally notified us an Denalf of our clients
that the Government of non,kon, proposed to pass al vruinance making legal the Government's control procequre and confining our clients' compensation to the monies they nau already
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