§ 15. Mr. LOUGHasked the President of the Board of Trade whether arrangements have been made by the British Government whereby, in order to facilitate their shipments of copper from the United States of America to neutral countries, American exporters are forced to ship through certain London firms; and if he will state who these firms are?
Mr. ROBERTSONNo arrangements such as those suggested in the question have been made Several of the most important copper producers in the United 1289 States of America, and practically all the copper merchants in London, have voluntarily agreed to certain suggestions regarding shipments of copper to Europe. There is no compulsion to ship through any particular houses; their arrangements are purely voluntary, open to all, and made with the object of facilitating shipments to Europe. The Government will raise no objection to those companies and firms who have entered into this arrangement making the fact public, so that purchasers of copper in the allied countries may be in a position to discriminate when arranging for their purchases.