CO885-24 — Page 199

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

سلسل

Reference :-

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRA NOT TO

72

MINUTES.

+

9. Report on position of Ships.—Mr. Holt reported to the Committee on the

Thor,"

"Lacia," Conca doro,** parition of the following ships :-"Frisia,"

'Rooke,'

Kawak," "Gibraltar."

10. 3.8. "Carl."-The Committee approved the proposed agreement with Mr. R. W. Starkey for the charter of this ship. They thought that the insurance value should be the value at which the Admiralty Marshal had already insured the ship.

11. 3.3. “Schwarzenbek.”—Mr. Holt informed the Committee that Messrs. John Stewart & Company had proposed a fee of £200 for management expenses and 14 per cent. on freight, on the condition that the firm were put in funds from time to time as they needed them. The Committee agreed to accept these figures on the understanding that all commissions were surrendered to them.

12. 8.8.

Hamm" and s.s. “Apolda.”—The Committee approved the affers of the Federal Steam Navigation Companyt in respect of the management of these ships during their voyages from Capetown to Australia. The Committee agreed that the ships were not to be insured against war risks.

«

18. 8.5. ' Birkenfels.”—The Secretary informed the Committee that Messrs. Waltons' account for legal expenses was £42. It was decided that the insurance policies taken out under the Agreement with the Federal Steam Navigation Company might remain in the custody of the Company.

14.

4

1.4.

"

On

'Rajaburi.”—The Committee approved the proposed Quarta," 8.8. Agreement with Mr. William Roberts for the charter of these two ships. reconsideration they decided to offer no objection to the wording of Clause 4, which provided that the vessel might lie aground in any safe tidal berth, as was customary for similar vessels.

The Committee agreed that the "Rajaburi" might be valued for insurance purposes by Messrs. Kellock & Company on the understanding that, if the appraised value were higher than Messrs. Kellock's, Mr. Roberts must pay premiums on the higher figure.

As regards the persons to whom Mr. Roberts wished to sub-charter these vessels the Committee were unable to approve of the Belgian Committee as sub-charterer for the "Quarta." They had no objection to the "Rajaburi” being chartered to Steel Brothers & Company, Limited, Bulloch Brothers & Company, Limited, Arracan Company, Limited, or the Borneo Company, Limited, but the Board of Trade was asked to make inquiries into the standing of D. M. Horne & Company?

15. 8.3. Emir."-An agreement with Elder Dempster & Company for the management of the 8.8. "Emir" was approved.

The Committee decided to accept their solicitors' recommendations in regard to the claims made for the release of certain consignments of condemned cargo.

16. 8.8." Senegambia."—It was understood that the Admiralty and the Foreign Office had agreed that the "C. Ferd. Laiesz" should be handed over to the French Government pending the decision as to which country should adjudicate upon her; the "Senegambia" remaining for the present in the hands of His Majesty's Government. The Committee thought that, whatever might be the ultimate decision as to the "Senegambia," it was desirable that she should not be kept idle in Hong Kong, and they therefore recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor asking him to apply to the Court for the requisition of this ship, provision being made in the order that the Crown's undertaking should be cancelled if it were ultimately decided by His Majesty's Government that she should be adjudicated upon by the French Court instead of the British Court.

17. A telegram from the Senior Naval Officer at Simonstown to the Admiralty, asking for authority to accept an offer from the Railway Department of the Union Government for certain railway material condamned by the Prize Court out of the 8.8.

Rufidji," at less than the appraised value, was considered. Committee saw no objection to the Senior Naval Officer's proposal being approved.

* No. 7 in Appendix B. + No. 4 (a) in Appendix B.

The

MINUTES.

73

18. 8.8. "Heinz.”—The arrangements for putting this ship up for sale were discussed, and the Committee agreed that the matter might be settled by Mr. Tennyson after discussion with Messrs. Waltons & Company and Mr. Kellock. 19. Accounts.-The Secretary informed the Committee that Mr. Bobb had pointed out that he was only authorized to receive payments when notified by a letter signed by the Chairman, Mr. Barstow, or Mr. Evans. The Committee were of opinion that the signature of the Secretary would be sufficient. They presumed, however, that where the Assistant Paymaster-General received a sum which was the balance of transactions on both sides of the account, the receipt given by the Assistant Paymaster-General would not necessarily be a fimal one, but would be subject to audit.

675

THE FORTIEth Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Thursday, the 8th of April, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present:-

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman). MR. W. J. Evans, Admiralty.

MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury.

MR. C. HIPWOOD, Board of Trade.

MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

MR. C. TENNYSON. C.M.G., Colonial Office.

MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

Mr. TENNYSON acted as Secretary in the absence of Mr. R. A. Wiseman. The Director of Transports and Mr. Royden also attended the meeting during the discussion of 4.

1. Steamships "Kalymnos" and "George R."-The Chairman informed the Committee that the "George R." was loading 350 tons of lead, in addition to the 800 tons of copper left from the "Kalymnos." The Governor of Gibraltar should be instructed by telegram to fill up any remaining space with general cargo.

4

2. 8.v. Yawry." It was agreed that the manager's remuneration should be altered to £200 down and 14 per cent. on the gross freight, the Committee disburs- ing the ships. A telegram should be sent to the Governor of Sierra Leone, approving his proposals for the provisioning of the ship, and giving him instructions with regard to the dock at Dakar.

"L

3. 8.8. 'Derfflinger."-Messra. T. R. Miller & Sons should be informed that no risk attaches to the Association until the vessel begins to load her homeward Mr. Holt undertook to cargo, and that the risk will commence from that time convey this to Messrs. Miller & Sons.

4. Requisition of Prize and Detained Steamers for Military Purposes.-The Director of Transports and Mr. Royden attended the Committee to discuss this question. It was agreed that the Director of Transports should be supplied with an exact statement showing the names of all prize and detained ships under the con- trol of the Committee, with particulars as to whether the ships are under ship- owner's management or chartered, and also as to the status, present position, and commitments of the ships. On receipt of these particulars the Director of Trans- ports undertook to formulate proposals for the consideration of the Committee. The Committee thought that, if it were thereby made possible to liberate ships requisi- tioned from British subjects, it would be an advantage for the Admiralty to take over the detained and captured ships so far as practicable. There were, however, certain difficulties in the way, particularly with regard to the captured ships and the recent negotiations with the French Government in connexion with the proposal to allow French citizens to bid for some of those ships. The Committee agreed that these difficulties could probably be best surmounted if the matter was first discussed with the French official or other person who has the actual control of the question in France. The Director of Transports agreed that it would be desirable, where prize or detained ships were taken over by the Admiralty, to release ships which were