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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

IC.O.

Reference :-

885/25

122

of Kijabe Hill, British East Africa: Max Holzapfel, of Milburn House, Newcastle- on-Tyne (4,000 shares), and Albert Welter, of Odessa (100 shares), making a total capital of 15,000 ordinary £1 shares.

The Board would be glad to be advised as to the reply which should, in Mr Bonar Law's opinion, be returned to Messrs. Criddle & Criddle.

Enclosure in No. 117.

I am, &c.,

H. FOUNTAIN.

Northern Assurance Buildings, 2, Collingwood Street,

Newcastle-on-Tyne, 14th December, 1915. Schauer, Welter & Company, Limited.

SIR,

WE act as solicitors to the above Company, in which our client Mr. Max Holzapfel, a naturalized British subject, holds the great majority of the shares. A cablegram has to-day been received from Mr. Holzapfel's nephew, who is in British East Africa and who is a British-born subject, stating that the Company ́has been declared an alien firm and is in the hands of liquidators.

Some time ago inquiries were instituted, apparently at the instance of the Board of Trade, presumably for the purpose of ascertaining the composition of the Company. At any rate we had a call from Mr. Bowden, of Messrs. Bowden, Son & Nephew, chartered accountants, of this city, as representing the Board, about twelve months ago, when we gave him all the information in our possession with regard to the Company.

As we are at a loss to understand why, under the circumstances, the Company has been declared an alien firm, or under what authority such steps have been taken, we should be obliged if you would let us know exactly what order has been made and by what authority such measures have been taken against the Company, so that we may explain the position to our client.

We are, &c.,

The Secretary,

Board of Trade,

59682

Whitehall, S.W.

No. 118.

CRIDDLE & CRIDDLE.

SIR,

123

Enclosure in No. 118.

Northern Insurance Buildings, 2, Collingwood Street,

Newcastle-on-Tyne, 14th December, 1915.

Schauer, Welter & Company, Limited.

On the 29th ultimo we addressed a letter to you with reference to the above Company. As we have had no acknowledgment of receipt of same we shall be pleased to learn that the same has reached the War Office and that it is receiving, or will receive, attention in due course.

The matter is made all the more urgent by reason of the fact that a cablegram has been received stating that the Company has been declared an alien firm and is now in the hand of liquidators. We cannot understand how it is that the firm should have been declared an alien firm, seeing that a great majority of the shares are held by Mr. Max Holzapfel, who, as mentioned in the correspondence which we sent you with our letter, is a naturalized British subject of many years standing.

We are, &c.,

CRIDDLE & CRIDDLE.

The Under-Secretary of State,

59682

SIR,

War Office, S.W.

No. 119.

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE. COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE. [Copy to Governor, 3rd January, 1916. No. 1. L.F.] [Answered by No. 121.]

Downing Street, 3rd January, 1916.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Bonar Law to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th of December,* and to transmit to you, for the information of the Army Council, the accompanying copy of correspondencet showing the status of Messrs. Schauer, Welter & Company, Limited, of Kijabe Hill, East Africa Protectorate, and the action which has been taken with regard to the firm by the local authorities.

2. Mr. Bonar Law has no information as to the circumstances in which the sanatorium was commandeered by the military authorities, and I am to suggest that it would probably be more convenient if the Army Council communicated direct with the General Officer Commanding in East Africa on the subject.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

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

| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 28th December, 1915.)

[Copy to Governor, 3rd January, 1916. No. 1. L.F.] [Answered by No. 119.]

SIR,

War Office, London, S.W., 27th December, 1915. WITH reference to your letter No. 53415/15, of the 27th ultimo,* trans- mitting correspondence in connexion with the property of Messrs. Schauer, Welter and Company, at Kijabe Hill, I am commanded by the Army Council to forward, for the information of Mr. Secretary Bonar Law, the attached copy of a letter which has been received from Messrs. Criddle & Criddle.

I am to say that no official information has reached this Department to the effect that the sanatorium has been commandeered by military authorities or that the firm has been declared an alien firm, and I am to request, therefore, that Mr. Secretary Bonar Law will be good enough to cause a report to be obtained from the Governor of British East Africa showing whether this is the case, and, if so, the grounds on which such action was taken.

I am to add that the Council would be glad to receive full information on these points at an early date.

I am, &c.,

B. B. CUBITT.

58906

SIR,

No. 120.

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

COLONIAL OFFICE to BOARD OF TRADE.

[Copy to Governor, 3rd January, 1916. No. 1. L.F.]

Downing Street, 3rd January, 1916.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Bonar Law to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st of December, and to transmit to you, for the information of the Board of Trade, the accompanying copy of correspondence§ with reference to the action taken by the authorities in the East Africa Protectorate with regard to Messrs. Schauer, Welter & Company, Limited.

* No. 116.

† Nos. 109 and 117.

‡ No. 117.

§ 37939/14, 97/1915, and Nos. 109,

112, and 118.

* No. 114.