CO129-427 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 517

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agents was concerned, it was quite out of the question to

ascertain what actual sum was to be set against this.

At the same time I could not assume that en equivalent

sum was to be set down, but rather the half. As far as

the dif.erence with regard to the Wanchai property is

concerned, the balance of $ 15000 agrees and I have re-

membered this in a later statement. As far as the loan

on the shares is concerned, these stand in your name and

I purposely made no reference to them in the statement in

oru r that the liquidators Light believe that this re- ferred to a private transaction and had nothing to do with the firm; the books, however, will give a clue to the

actual position.

Goods on steers detained. If meanwhile anything has arrived in Hong Kong, but I should doubt it, the Banks Had to send the documents and instructions in respect of the goods to Hong Kong with the help of the special Com-

mittee. We have already been informed here by the Hong

Kong Bank that goods of German origin can hardly pass Singapore without being confiscated and accordingly the Bank are not prepared to run the risk of getting the goods which are intended for this port here. Doubt- less the same applies to Hong Kong and I am afraid that We ust make up our minds that until peace is declared the different goods must remain in the neutral ports. Liquidation. I am afraid we have also been deceived in

Mr. Dhewan. which is much to be regretted; &c., of Y, can hardly have remained hidden from ir. §. and after he seconded the motion of the Hong Kong Cham- ber of Commerce to shut out German fims for ever this

the deeds.

is evidence that Mr. S. thinks and feels differently to- day than he did in the first months. To me, as an English

subject, he always behaved as though he cursed the war and specially with regard to Tsingtau he was al- ways very much annoyed that his Government accepted the help of the Japanese, which he regarded es irre- sponsible for white folk. I must say I believed kr. Sh. It is true did not often see him, for he left everything to Y. and he often referred me to him when I paid a call, even though I knew that Y. was not in the office. It is a fact that shellhass up to the last days lived with S. &c., but that was all at the

The Eng- time. Meanwhile a great deal has happened.

lish can only read their own newspapers, at least, with a few exceptions, and it is natural that they are

The speech one-sided and believe in all this filth.

of the Honourable Mr. Hewitt in the Chamber of Commerce

is disgusting reading. I enclose an extract from the

newspaper.

(The next paragraph deals with particulars in respect of 4100 cases shipped by the Indian Trading Company by the steamer "Tjilat jap".)

Pro forma statement of the war losses to be claim- ed in respect of Hong Kong. Thank you for the copies. After looking through these I can only report as fol- lows: Under claim No. 4 in respect of creditors the item M. Steger $ 25000 is to be cut out as this amount was paid at the end of October and H. St. succeeded through the N.H.M. in sending the money out of the Colony. Under Loss No. 6 Article 4 Commission of the liquidators, I should put the amount higher, that is to say at some $40000, As has already been mentioned, the views with regard to the question of commission vary considerably. Some firms have taken the point

of

subject