Sir LEICESTER HARMSWORTHasked the President of the Board of Trade if, under the powers of the Trading With the Enemy Acts, the German-owned business of Heinrich Traun and Son, ebonite and vulcanile merchants, was ordered to be wound up; if the managers of the London branch of that business were two persons of German birth, Messrs. Winter and Almenraeder; if, after the winding-up of the Heinrich Traun business, the two managers in question opened up a business of a similar nature under the trading title of Winter and Almenraeder, ebonite merchants, 48, Great Sutton Street, E.C.1; if this firm has received contracts 940W from any Government Department; and if he has any official information showing that this business of Winter and Almenraeder is simply a means of maintaining the trading connection of the German firm of Heinrich, Traun and Son until such time as conditions permit resumption of business with Germany?
Sir A. STANLEYThe business of H. Traun and Sons, manufacturers of ebonite and vulcanite goods, of 25, Goswell Road, E.C., was ordered to be wound up on the 21st December, 1916. Messrs. Winter and Almenräder, naturalised British subjects of German origin, who had acted as manager and assistant manager respectively of the business, bad commenced to carry on a similar business in partnership in January, 1915, at the same address, under the name of "Winter and Company," and there seems to be no doubt that this course was taken partly with a view to the business of Traun and Sons being resumed after the War. I have no information as to the firm having received contracts from any Government Department. I propose to refer the case again to our Advisory Committee as soon as the amending Bill now before Parliament has become law.
Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will ascertain if the firm of Hermansen, furnace builders, Birmingham, of which the managing director is T. Jeisen, County Chambers, Corporation Street, Birmingham, is in effect a branch of a German company, the Offenban-Gesellschaft, with registered offices and headquarters at Berlin but with branches in Paris, Spain, and elsewhere; is he aware that recently the Paris branch was closed down and the manager, a Danish subject named Seedorff, fined and imprisoned for having attempted to have relations with the Offenban-Gesellschaft; and will he, in view of the fact that Hermansens is in reality an enemy-owned concern, though nominally controlled by a neutral, have this concern wound up?
Sir A. STANLEYI have no information in regard to the firm referred to except that which has been sent me by the hon. and gallant Member, but an inspector has now been appointed to make an investigation of the business.
Major NEWMANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the numerous firms and individuals of 941W enemy origin which, at the commencement of the War, were engaged in the supplying of goldbeaters' skins to Germany for the construction of her lighter-than-air fleet, and are now placed on Government work as protected industries for the supply of certain surgical dressings, are allowed an ample supply of protected labour, including uninterned and released from internment Germans; and why the few British firms that are in the casing industry have the greatest difficulty in getting sufficient labour and have been allotted none of these enemy subjects to help them to carry on similar work to that being done by their alien competitors?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWe have no knowledge of any arrangements for the protection of persons or firms of enemy origin for the supply of surgical dressings, or for giving them a preference, over British firms in the allocation of protected labour. As regards the supply of goldbeaters' skin for lighter-than-air craft, a number of British firms are engaged in this industry, and for that purpose they are protected under the Schedule of Protected Occupations; also the Admiralty has repeatedly taken action to assist them in securing labour.