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Mann, George & Co.
London, Cardiff, Newport, Glasgow, Newcastle-on-Tyne
Directors: F. R. Pelly (Chairman), Sir A. C. Cory-Wright, Bart., John Duthie, T. A. Evans, F. J. sLeathers, B. A. Sanders

London, 11th March 1918
Messrs Worms & Co., Paris

Dear Sirs,
South African business. We confirm our last letter of the 8th inst. and have this morning received your telephonic message, through the medium of our mutual friends, Messrs James Burness & Sons. We at once communicated with the owners of the s.s. "Urko Mendi", and we were pleased to be able to ask Messrs Burness to be good enough to inform you, when telephoning this afternoon, that we had got an extension of the offer for this steamer for Diego Suarez until noon to-morrow. Since then we have received your further message, through Messrs Burness, that the Messageries Co. accept the cargo for Diego Suarez on the best terms possible, and expressing the hope that we will be able to make some reduction on the price of 85/- per ton c.i.f. The message further added that the Messageries Co. would prefer the cargo for Colombo, but we might mention that we pressed the owners, in the first instance to offer us the s.s. "Urko Mendi" for that port; they, however replied that after the unfortunate experience of the s.s. "Igotz Mendi", they would prefer not to offer for Colombo, although they frankly admitted that their reasons were somewhat sentimental.
We are now in touch with Messrs Sota & Aznar regarding Diego Suarez cargo, and may have something to report later on in the day, in which event we will at once telegraph you.
We are, dear Sirs,
Yours faithfully,

For Mann, George & Co. Limited,
[Signature illisible]
Managing director

Since writing, we have to confirm our telegram, as per copy enclosed, from which you will note that we have now chartered the s.s. "Urko Mendi" from Delagoa Bay to Diego Suarez at 57/6d per ton freight, and that consequently we confirm the sale to the Messageries Co. of a cargo of Witbank Screened Steam Coal for shipment by this steamer, at the c.i.f price of 82/6d per ton on the usual Messageries terms, subject to the usual export licence for the cargo. Charter party is being drawn up for this business, copies of which we will, in due course, forward you, and we are instructing our branch office at Delagoa Bay, by cable, to apply for the necessary licence.
In case there should be any delay in our telegram reaching you, we have asked Messrs James Burness & Sons to be good enough to inform you, by telephone, in the morning that we have fixed steamer at 57/6d per ton, being 2/6d per ton less than your authority, and we are very pleased we have been able to do this further transaction together.