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James Burness & Sons
138, Leadenhall Street

London, 23rd October 1918
Messrs Worms & Co. - Paris

Dear Sirs,
Transports maritimes at Port Said. We mentioned to you over the telephone this morning that we had written you yesterday with reference to your special advices of the 19th inst. and had also communicated with Mr. Newton Dunn by letter upon the subject of the 'coaling' of the Steamers in question, when you told us with reference to our own advices of the 18th idem in the same connection that you had not yet had time to reply to them fully but that in the meantime you wished to say you were quite in accord with our view as to our confining our communication to Mr. Newton Dunn for the present to the question of 'Coal-Supplying', and to leave that 'Handling' to be disposed of later on. Personally we are rather in favour of playing for time with regard to the question of 'handling' and with reference to your remark in connection therewith "that it is quite possible that your Port Said people had communicated with their neighbours with reference to the price of Fcs 11 in order to ascertain from them whether they were in agreement therewith", (as suggested in the letter which Messrs Moxey Savon & Co. Ltd. addressed to Mr. Newton Dunn on the 6th July last) we now find upon further reference to the correspondence that although you had said in the first instance that you were not prepared to discuss the matter with the local representatives of Messrs Moxey, Savon & Coy., Ltd. we had informed Mr. Newton Dunn on the 11th July under your instructions that upon further reflection "if the others wished it to be decided at Port Said you would readily fall into line in the matter".
Apparently we have not since received any further communication from Mr. Newton Dunn upon the subject so that if the matter has been settled locally as you think is quite possible we ought to be able to justify the action you have taken in regard to the cargo of coal which is now on the way for account of the Transports maritimes.
We are, Dear Sirs,
Yours truly,

James Burness & Sons