§ Mr. R. McNEILLasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken by the firm of H. R. Merton and Company by way of reorganisation so as to exclude the German interest other than the change of their German surnames into English surnames by two shareholders who are naturalised aliens, and the use by 1248W a Swiss company of its French instead of its German name; whether it is on the ground of these charges of nomenclature that the company claims that the German interest has been eliminated so as to entitle it to be reinstated: and whether it is proposed to allow the company to trade in this country?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe steps taken by Henry R. Merton and Company, Limited, to reorganise the company consisted in the acquisition of 29,029 shares which were held before the War by the Metallgesellschaft and the Metallbank in exchange for assets in Germany belonging to British subjects. Of these shares, 2,675 were acquired by naturalised British subjects of German origin, who subsequently purchased a further 1,501 of the shares, with the result that 24,853 of the shares previously owned by enemies are now held by British-born subjects, and 4,176 by naturalised British subjects of German origin. Fifty-six per cent. of the issued capital of the company is now held by British-born subjects in addition to 16 per cent. which is held jointly by British-born and naturalised British trustees for the benefit of British-born subjects and British charities, and there would seem to be no ground on which the company should be prevented from trading in this country.
§ Major HUNTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether Messrs. Beer, Sondheimer, and Company, of Frankfort, acquired some years ago a large block of shares in Dillwyn and Company, spelter manufacturers, of Swansea; and, if so, what steps have been taken to dispose of this enemy property since the beginning of the War?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI am not aware that Beer, Sondheimer, and Company have ever acquired any interest in Dillwyn and Company, Limited. So far as I can ascertain, the only enemy interest in this company consists of 200 shares held by Georges Schwartz, of the Metalgesellschaft, which are already on the register of enemy property.
§ Major HUNTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any official information showing that Messrs. Vivian, Younger, and Bond, and also W. Foster and Company, well-known metal firms, are under the control of Merton and Company; and, if so, will he say if the Government is dealing with these alien enemy concerns?
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§ Mr. PRETYMANI understand that the firm of Messrs. Vivian, Younger, and Bond is in no sense an alien enemy concern, and is not in any way under the control of Henry R. Merton and Company, Limited. Henry R. Merton and Company, Limited, have a controlling interest in Williams, Foster, and Company, Limited, which is a controlled establishment and has transactions with the Government.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the names of the six largest shareholders in R. Martens and Company, Limited, of Leadenhall Street, London, and their ordinary occupations; whether Mr. R. Martens is of enemy origin and has, or has had, a brother serving in the German Army; and if this Mr. Martens is the same gentleman who formed a Russian chamber of commerce in Chicago and who is, or has recently been, touring Russia with a number of American engineers?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe shareholders in R. Martens and Company, Limited, are Lord Rhondda, who holds more than half-the capital; Messrs. Martens, Hulton, Thompson, and Snowball, who are described as coal exporters, and Mr. Haig, who is described as a manufacturer. I have no official information as to the other points raised in the hon. Gentleman's question.