CO129-446 - Others & Individuals - 1917 — Page 80

TUT

2

Any further communication

the subject, please quote

No.

ad address-

103155/45x

The Controller,

Foreign Trade Department.

Telephone: Gerrand 8640.

Sir,

78

FOREIGN TRADE DEPARTMENt,

C

LANCASTER HOUSE,

3718

ST. JAMES,

¡RECO

S.W.

Rre 20 JAN 17

1qth

h January, 1917.

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to trans- mit herewith, for the information of Hr. Secretary Long, a copy of the Note with enclosures from the United States Ambassador, regarding the detention of some American goods at Hong Kong. Mr. Balfour will be glad if Mr. Long will cause enquiries to be made by telegram.

I am to add that Mr. Balfour realises that if the goods were landed in Hong Kong for trans-shipment sub- sequent to March 24th, the date on which Messrs. Mohrmann were included on the Statutory List, it would be illegal for anyone in that colony, under the local Trading with the Enemy laws, to handle them. At the same time, Messrs.Getz & Co., not being subject to British Jurisdiction, were never engaged in any illegal transaction as they might sell and

consign goods to persons on the Statutory List. Assuming

however that they abandoned the intention of delivering

the goods to persons on the Statutory List, as stated in

their letter of December 8th, persons subject to British

Jurisdiction were not prevented from aiding them in deliv-

ering goods to persons not on that list, and consequently there appears to be no reason now why Getz & Co. should not he Under Secretary of State,

be/

Colonial office,

AM

Whitehall, S.V.