CO129-424 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [9-10] — Page 325

COPY.

Ostasiatischer Verein.

(Eastern Asiatic Society.}

C.

54515

REC

323

REG 26 NLV 15

Hamburg, April 1915.

Concerning Principles to be observed in the reclaiming of damages

Caused by the War.

Although the war is still in full swing and the and is not yet in siht, it appears opportune to the ostosintischer Verein to attempt to view the losses which the German firms in East Asia have sustained on account of the War. The ostasistischer Verein is presum- -ing that the Government will do everything possible in order that the firms, which form a valuable link between German industry, the Great places of consumption and the raw material producing district of Enst Asin, may resume their activity after the wor ne undiminished as possible.

It is not ceratin of course, whether on account of the Great destruction of property which the war has crused (East Prussic, Upper Alsace, loss of ships) the Government will be in a position to make pod all damage. It will natur lly depend on, if any and what wer compensation the German Government receives from the oneries.

It is desirable however that the Goverment should not only know approximately the full amount of the losses which the firmas have suffered, but also on what grounde they are based, for it is netį impossible of course that a certain kind of damages is ensier to ob- -tain from the enemy than another. With this end in view the (stasio- -tischer Verein has drawn up a Scheme A re the damages to be reclaimed and requests the East Asiatic firma first of all to fill up, under the different headings, the amounts which the firm in question be- -lioves itself to have lost. The complete list of damages sustained must be sent to the Secretary of the Ostasiatischer Verein, Hamburg, in order that he, under guarantee of absolute secrecy, may make a

and complete statement based on the statements of the separate firms, so that the Government will be able to see at a glance how the claims for damages are apportioned according to cause. Of course at the present time we are concerned only with a temporary estimate. A more

exact

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