§ Mr. NIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the provisions of the Trading With the Enemy Act, 1914, Section 4, passed to enable British subjects to secure payment of debts due from them or alien enemy firms, has been judicially interpreted as excluding German firms domiciled in territory of the Allies in enemy occupation; whether he will state on what principle such alien enemy firms are thus exempted; and whether, with a view to placing British creditors in the position to secure payment of debts from firms consisting of alien enemies wholly or in part, wherever domiciled or resident, by attaching debts due to them, or sequestrating 1659W properly to which they are entitled in this country, he will take prompt means to amend the Act?
Mr. ROBERTSThe difficulty of obtaining satisfactory evidence of the nationality of firms domiciled in territory of the Allies in hostile occupation is so great that I am not at present satisfied that it is expedient to extend the provisions of the Trading With the Enemy Amendment Act, 1914, in the manner suggested. The matter, however, shall receive further consideration