Lieutenant-Colonel GUINNESSasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the constitution of the company described as Brandeis Goldschmidt in 446W August, 1914; who were its directors or partners and what was their country of origin; what was the constitution of this company in November, 1918; whether their business in Australia is closed and their representative there, Max Gorier, a German, interned; whether the British Government has given permission to a representative of Brandeis Goldschmidt to go to Australia; and, if so, whether the approval of the Commonwealth Government has been obtained?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe business of Brandeis Goldschmidt and Company was inspected by order of the Board in November, 1916. The partners then, and apparently also in August, 1914, were Ernest Goldschmidt, of German origin, who was denaturalised in 1879 and became a naturalised British subject in the same year; Paul Kohn Speyer, a British-born subject, whose father was naturalised as a British subject in 1850; Pitt Becker, of German origin, who was naturalised as a British subject in 1884; and Lucien Nachmann, residing in New York, a German, who was denaturalised in 1890 but had not become naturalised either in this country or in America. I understand that Pitt Becker died in 1917 and that Nachmann, who held a minor share in the business, retired from the partnership on 31st December, 1916. In November, 1918, the sole partners in the firm was Ernest Goldschmidt, and Paul Kohn Speyer. I am not at present in possession of the information necessary to enable me to reply to that part of the question which deals with the affairs of the firm in Australia, but I am making inquiries and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend.