CO129-430 - Others & Individuals - 1915 — Page 118

ויי־

winding up of Jerman, wins coeperti that the process and he acceleratit.

A far as I can see 7.0

D

on how taking the

new that we are closing deem jenes at

for militares his in commercial

reasons.

? Ith 70 we will engaie has things

x are the for how the liquidation

is jetting

MD/49333 and a

copy fahitter

from the Who Ch. 1. Commerce on the

4Roy Sat.

Put by

49143and 49333 cover to a large extent the

same ground.

Since we started the policy of licuidation in Hong Kong and the Straits, circumstances have consider. ably changed. How that the Proclamation of June 25th has got into working order, there seems a reasonable chance of being able to destroy to a considerable ex- tent German trade in neutral countries in the Fer East

oreover experience has shown, I think, the great desirability of crippling the German commercial machine as far as possible for the future, not only in order to benefit our own commerce, but in order to put an end to the military and political effects w ich Germany has

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been able to attain through her commercial system. In-

so far as we can assist in the destruction of this system

in the Far East by our scheme of liquidation, I think that we most certainly ought to do so. At the same time I still think it important that we should avoid anything which looks like confiscation, and confine ourselves, so

far as possible, to action which can be brought within the principle which we have frequently laid down, that we are conducting these liquidations for purposes of military necessity. I am afraid it is quite likely that the British liquidators of these German houses may be spinning out the liquidations for their own profit, and we know that the British manufacturers would in many cases be glad to see the German distributing agencies in the Far East surviving the war and beginning again to

remarkable powe exercise energetically their excece as commercial

I think therefore that we ought to

قلبهية

? telegraph to the Gr vernor of Hong Kong as soon as pos-

sible, pointing cut that although it is extremely desir- able to avoid anything which looks like confiscation; no action ought to be taken which will conduce to the preser vation of the enemy houses if it can be avoided consist- ently with the principles laid down; that we consider therefore that liquidations should be accelerated as much

as possible so long as the markets are not flooded, even though less satisfactory prices may be rest for stocks in consequence; that although good-will and buildings should not be sold, no action should be taken to preserve the latter beyond the minimum absolutely necessary to

prevent deterioration of the fabric; that this minimum

should be paid for out of the balance of assets, if any,

and where a firm is insolvent, should be met by the

Government and subsequently made the subject of a claim

against