CO129-432 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [3-5] — Page 664

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Enclosure 3

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Engineering Co.Ltd.

The Hon. The Attorney-General,

Hongkong

Dear Sir,

Hongkong, March 30th., 1916.

The undersigned regrets he is unable to remember the exact words written in the Document handed to the Manager of the Siemens China Co. in Shanghai, the gist of it is however as follows:-

January ?

This is to certify that in the event of the Hongkong Branch of the Siemens China Co. being handed over with all monies, stocks etc. to the undersigned D.W.Munton, to trade either in his om name or in any other name. In the event of the death of the said D.W.khmton the property shall revert back to the Siemens Companies. Further at the termination of the war should at any time the said D.W.Hunton wish to dispose of the Hongkong branch of the Siemens China Co. the Siemens Companies shall have the first option of buying same back.

This document was given subject of course to the decisions of the Hongkong Government, and the writer at the time told Mr. Erhardt that if the Hongkong Government wound the concern up, or if the place went into liquidation, or if for any reason the Government refused to allow the concern to be handed back he was not to be in any way held liable or responsible. Hr. Ehrhardt quite agreed. Then at a later date when the new Ordinances were brought out it struck the under- -signed that this document ma at some time be used against him to his disadvantage, and he then wrote the following letter which was posted and sent through the G.P.0. of Hongkong.

Messrs. Siemens China Co.

Shanghai.

Dear Sirs,

July 21st., 1915.

As you know the new Ordinances which have been brought out are of an exceedingly strict nature, and now all relations with German firms must cease. We therefore now beg to advise you on the recommendation of our Solicitors that as we ere now registered as a British Company in this Colony we cannot in my way whatsoever trade with you, or even do business of any kind. In fact our Solicitors advise that we should not even correspond on the merest details, as it may lead the Censors and Government to suspect our motives. We havO also been advised to state that any documents that we may have signed prior to this ordinance coming into effect that may in any way affect our future relations, or any letters that we may have written in which it can be construed that we tried to trade with the enemy are hereby cancelled. Te do this in order to make the situation for ourselves perfectly clear, and to avoid any possibility of the government coming down on us. Please therefore cease writing to us on business as we have been well treated by the Authorities here, and do not in any way want to abuse their confidence. We write you officially at the request of our solicitors.

yours faithfully.

Yarex obedient want. (H)minton.