CO129-452 - Others & Individuals - 1918 — Page 20

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No.1270 H of 25.10.16.

From: To:

Germenn, Heuer all.

Chas Young, 502 Broadway, New York.

"Cobacco unsaleable if shipment impossible

importation restricted consign knotted rotterdam you must pay baloise 1500 moneyless make transfer debts pressing."

In the early part of 1910 suspicion had been aroused by letters addressed by Pfister of wohlen to 0. Kartini Lta.. an Italian firm at Manila and to other firms in Manila

The inviting them to send him hemp and other goods. attractive terms he offered suggested that there was some person behind his proposals as he did not shew such finan- oial strength before the war. (li.. Consul General, danila Desp. 33 of 10.7.16.)

Enquiry shaved that C.J. Pfister in January 1916 took over the business of Richard C. Pottstock of ohlen; he was previously the managing clerk in this firm. The business carried on by C.J. Pfister is given as that of an "importer and dealer in raw and semi-manufactured materials for straw industry and other branches of the textile industry,"

According to information obtained locally, Pfister is a good and energetic business man; he is said to purchase raw materials for the firms engaged in the straw plaiting industry of which Fohlen is the centre; this industry is very flourishing at the present time as the Germen export of such goods is stopped, and the fohlen district now supplies many countries.

It was stated locally that Pfister is booked by the Banque Cantonale d'Argovie; this would account for his being able to dispose of the funds necessary to carry on business on the scale indicated in his letter to Martini.

The proposed transactions appeared on the face of it to be quite in order particularly as the goods would come under the control of the S.S.S. (H.. inister, Berne 944 Comm. of 7.10.17.)

But there is little doubt that Richard 0. Pottstook of

ohlen is merely a branch of Richard C. Pottatook, Importers and Exporters, Schusselkorb 14, Bremen. Herman Dubler was also representative of the Bremon firm. (Italian M.I. 27.10.17 Gen. 1637) and these facts would in themselves strongly suggest that Pfister is merely keeping alive the business of Rich. Pottstock in wohlen, if not importing on their behalf.

That Pfister's business is to all intents and purposes the same as that of Hioh. Pottstock, Bremen, is put beyond all question by a phrase in a letter from Germann Manila to Bergmann, Hamburg, dated the 13th way 1916 to the effect that the Manila firm hoped to be able to get off to New York some hemp, "to Pf. 1.0. P." (T.L.05886 and 08927.)

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