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James Burness & Sons
London and 3, Bute Crescent - Cardiff
138, Leadenhall Street

London, 12th January 1917
Messrs Worms & Co - Paris

Dear Sirs,
Time chartering & limitation scheme. We beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 9th inst. and note contents.
The position seems to have changed today in view of the enclosed notice which appears in our newspapers this morning and which we read to you over the telephone.
As regards the "King Idwal", Mr. Raeburn referred this morning to the announcement in the papers and said he feared you would not get authority to take up a British steamer on time charter out he asked us to communicate with Mr. Holmden inasmuch as these matters had now "been transferred to the Board of Trade and Mr. Holmden would assist Mr. Hipwood in that Department.
Mr. Holmden told us that late last evening a decision was come to whereby in future the time chartering of all neutral steamers would in all probability be in the hands of one firm of brokers so that there would be no competition as regards rate. It still remains for a scheme to be drawn out to deal with these time chartered boats but he said very plainly that inasmuch as the available tonnage was bound to be very much below the Allies' requirements it meant a shortage of tonnage for the export of coal all round.
Further Meetings are being held today & tomorrow and Mr. Holmden said it would probably be Monday before anything definite could be stated as to what would happen but in future there would be one definite authority to go to in connection with all these matters, viz. the Board of Trade.
As regards British steamers, both Owners & charterers will require to obtain the approval of the Ship Licensing Committee before talcing up a boat on time charter.
Mr. Holraden seems to think the new scheme is likely to develop by giving further power to the Local Committees or at all events being guided by their advice as to the allocation of tonnage, also that the Board of Trade will require assistance here from some of the coal shippers; these details however have not so far been discussed.
The "King Idwal" is expected to be discharged at Saint-Louis du Rhone on the 16th inst. and Owners say they ought now to advise the Requisitioning Committee of her position. We intend asking you when next you are through on the telephone whether this is so because unless she is further detained Owners ought to approach the Committee without delay.
When seeing Mr. Raeburn this afternoon we put this point to him when he advised that the Owners should approach the Ship Licensing Committee to say we were prepared to take up the boat on your behalf for 6 option 12 months' time charter subject to their permission and in the event of this being withheld to suggest that the application should be put before the Controller of Shipping.
A further point that Mr. Holmden mentioned to us is that the insurance on neutral steamers would be "better".
P & O C°. We have seen the Chairman and told him that you have gone into your stock of Coal at Marseilles and have come to the conclusion that it will be exhausted by the 5th proximo. We then asked him if he would use his influence with the Authorities to get a ready steamer allocated to you to load a cargo of Welsh Coal for the use of the Company's steamers at that port which he agreed to do and we have left the letter this afternoon with the Secretary to Sir Joseph Maclay at the Admiralty. The Chairman is very anxious about the supply to the "Mongolia" due 27th inst. and another boat due 3rd February; we said we assumed that they would have been taken into your calculations.
We are, dear Sirs,
Yours truly,

James Burness & Sons