2. Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade why Henry Wambach, a man of enemy origin, was a few months ago allowed to acquire an iron foundry and old-established tallow-melting business at Ipswich disposed of by a man liable for military service; and was the licence of the Board of Trade necessary before the purchase could be carried through?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir A. Stanley)I have no information as to the purchase of the business referred to by the hon. and gallant Member, but I am having inquiry made, and will inform him of the result.
Major NEWMANCould I get an answer to the last part of my question as to no licence being necessary?
§ Sir A. STANLEYI have no information on that now.
3. Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade to whom the various branches of the casing industry of the enemy-owned firm of Bruno Schulze and Company, a business lately wound up by the Board of Trade, have been disposed; and is he able to say that none of these branches have been allowed to pass into the hands of either naturalised or un-naturalised enemy aliens?
§ Sir A. STANLEYThe business at Sudbury has not yet been sold The business at Birmingham has, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, subject to certain requirements being complied with, been sold to Henry Edward Smith. The business at Hols-worthy has been sold to Frederick Jeffery. Both of these purchasers are natural-born British subjects.
Major NEWMANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that H. E. Smith is, as a fact, the son-in-law of Bruno Schulze, and that this is simply a pass-over?
§ Sir A. STANLEYYes; I was made aware of that this morning when I saw this question.