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Worms & C°

Cardiff, 7th October 1918
Messrs Worms & Co. - Paris

Dear Sirs,
Managed steamers. We beg to confirm our letter of Saturday and are to-day in receipt of your favours of the 3rd and 4th inst.
"Gothe" ss. Herewith copy of charter in triplicate, all duly certified. Finding from our Quality Surveyor at 10.30 that everything seemed in order we pressed Messrs Cleeves the Charterers to get the cargo ready for a start at 7 a.m. to-day, and also the N.A. to hand them release. It was nearly 2 p.m., however, before the Captain could reach our office, when to our surprise he demurred strongly to recognise her transfer to the French Govt, as he was without orders from his Owners Agents to agree same. Further, he insisted that the Americans should repair damage she had sustained in Havre; all the afternoon was vainly spent by ourselves and Messrs Elder, Dempster & Co., in efforts to get into touch with people, in London and elsewhere to adjust matters. Meanwhile, Messrs E. D.& Co. kept insisting that we should take delivery which we as strenuously declined doing, having regard to the attitude towards us, taken up by Captain. Eventually Messrs Leopold Walford & Co. after hearing Captain's statements authorised the repairs being effected, but when same will be finished it is yet impossible to say. Anyway, no coal could be put aboard in the afterhold until the work there is completed. The American Mission this morning, we find, refused to have anything to do with the repairs despite the promises which Captain says he obtained from them on the other side, and in the light of later knowledge we think they are right, for the whole story has yet to be told. All this besides being very unsatisfactory has put us in a very difficult position with Messrs Cleeves, whose cargo lies waiting shipment.
Moreover, the French Commission, with whom we could not get into touch on Saturday afternoon have not so far, through Messrs Burness, given us any instructions what to do. However, Messrs Elder, Dempster to-day recognise that we were perfectly justified in refusing to take delivery on Saturday, and thereby assuming responsibility for seeing her repaired. Personally, the loss of time in our opinion should fall neither on the American nor French Missions, as Captain wished to contrive, but on him and his Owners. Anyway, our attitude has simplified things, and the cost of repairs too will thus fall on him seeing the Americans repudiated.
Yours very truly,

G. W. Moore