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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO.885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

5.

been shipped. Should these goods arrive, however, there will be no difficulty in selling them at once. All creditors who are not of enemy character have been paid in full. The agencies have been taken over by Mr. R. Sturzenegger, a Swiss partner in the firm, who has started a business of his own.

XI. R. Forwerg.-Date of liquidation, 1st July, 1915. Liquidator,

Mr. H. D. Mundell.

All that is required in this case is a matter of accountancy; and Messrs. Gattey & Company, accountants, are examining the books to investi- It is expected that the liquida- gate certain claims by former partners, etc. tion will soon be closed. There are no agencies.

The enemy firms in liquidation in Penang are as follows:-

I. Herm Jebsen & Company.-Date of liquidation, 7th June, 1915.

Liquidator, Mr. G. J. M. Keulemans.

All the stock in hand has been sold, but there is still $6,200 worth to come forward from Manuagoa. It will take another four months to collect the outstanding debts. All creditors of non-enemy character have been paid in full. There are no agencies.

II. Hug & Company.-Date of liquidation, 7th June, 1915. Liquidator,

Mr. R. T. Reid.

All stocks have been sold, and the creditors of non-enemy character have been paid, except one whose character is doubtful. Unless some doubtful book debts, amounting to $81,160, can be realized the firm will prove to be

There are insolvent. The sum due to alien enemies is $179,684. agencies.

no

III. Goldenberg & Company.-Date of liquidation, 7th June, 1915

Liquidator, Mr. J. Mitchell.

All stocks have been realized. Creditors in "class four" (Section 4 (12) of the Ordinance) will be paid on the 31st January. The firm is probably insolvent, and, owing to the difficulty of collecting the outstanding debts, it will be some time before the liquidation closes. There are no agencies.

IV. Martijn & Company.-Date of liquidation, 7th June, 1915.

Liquidator, Mr. J. Mitchell.

The stocks have all been sold, and creditors in "class four" will be paid on the 31st January. The firms in debt to this firm can only afford to pay very slowly, and it will be some time before the liquidation closes. The firm is probably insolvent. There are no agencies.

V. Schmidt, Kusterman & Company.-This is the Penang branch of Rautenberg Schmidt & Company of Singapore (No. X. on the list above), and is being liquidated with it.

6. There are only two agricultural estates of enemy character in the Colony. One of them, Pundut Estate, has been the subject of your despatch No. 429 of the The other is the 24th December, 1914,* and is carried on under a licence. property of Pulau Daat Plantation, Limited. In this case the debenture holders (who also are for the most part of enemy character) had entered into possession before the Ordinance was brought into force. A liquidator (Mr. W. Lowther- Kemp) was appointed. The value of the property is probably less than the sum covered by the debentures. The sale of the property was under consideration at one time, but the proposal was dropped.

7. The enemy firms in the Colony which are not being liquidated under the provisions of the Ordinance are three in number. They are:-

Siemens Brothers & Company, Limited.

The Singapore Oil Mills.

The Medical Hall.

A rubber factory owned by Messrs. Behn Meyer & Company has also not been closed.

* 49617.

27

8. The firm of Siemens Brothers & Company, Limited, is a branch of the well-known firm. As it is under British management all that has been considered necessary is to place its operations under the supervision of the Registrar of Companies. The Singapore Oil Mills are worked with German capital and British management, the manager being Mr. W. H. Macgregor, who is liquidator of the three great German concerns of Behn Meyer & Company, the Norddeutscher Lloyd, and the Hamburg-Amerika Line. The Medical Hall is a chemist's shop, the manager being a naturalized British subject of German birth, and the capital being for the most part German. It is under the general control of the Colonial Treasurer. The rubber factory continues to work, as the liquidator of Behn Meyer & Company sees no valid reason for closing it.

9. It is the unanimous desire of the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council, with whom I find myself in entire accord upon this point, and who, I think, voice the opinion of the entire community, that all enemy concerns in the Colony should be closed. I shall therefore be glad to know whether the policy of His Majesty's Government will permit this Government to close the Oil Mills, the Medical Hall, and the rubber factory, whilst allowing Messrs. Siemens Brothers & Company, Limited, the same facilities that they have in England.

10. There is one point in regard to the winding-up of the trade of enemy firms upon which I shall be glad of your general directions. It arises after a firm has been liquidated and the surplus assets have been banked in the manner indicated by Section 4 (9) of the Ordinance. The immovable property of the firm, such as offices, warehouses, etc., are then handed over by the liquidator, whose task is finished, to the Custodian of Enemy Property; and the question is whether the Custodian of Enemy Property may maintain those buildings empty (whilst, of course, keeping them in good repair, if he has funds) or whether he is to lease

firm. them for the benefit of the (already liquidated) enemy

I have, &c.,

38524

SIR,

No. 27.

ARTHUR YOUNG.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS. [Answered by No. 43.]

(Hong Kong. No. 51.)

(Straits Settlements. No. 74.)

(Ceylon. No. 93.)

Downing Street, 24th February, 1916.

WITH reference to my telegram of the 10th February,* I have the honour to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a report by a committee appointed by me to consider the question of the liquidation of enemy firms in the British Crown Colonies and Protectorates.

2. It has been decided by His Majesty's Government to carry out the recom- mendations of the report, and accordingly I addressed to you the telegram referred to above, embodying these recommendations in so far as they affect the Colony of [Hong Kong.] [the Straits Settlements.] [Ceylon.]

3. I am consulting the Patent Office on the subject of the proper method of sale where there is a joint interest in a trade-mark between a manufacturer in the United Kingdom and a German distributing house in the Colony: and I shall inform you of the results of this inquiry at a later date.

4. The question of the steps to be taken to prevent the future use of the receiving the London acceptance system against the interest of British traders careful consideration of His Majesty's Government.

5. In my telegram of 22nd February‡ I referred to the desirability of making

the assets of firms liquidated in the Colony and possessing head offices or branches in enemy territory available for the payment--

[To Hong Kong and Ceylon only: of all debts of the firm, whether incurred by or on behalf of the branch in the Colony or otherwise.]

* No. 22.

+ No. 2.

‡ Nos. 24 and 25.