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James Burness & Sons
138, Leadenhall Street

London, 7th February 1918
Messrs Worms & Co. - Paris

Dear Sirs,
We have to acknowledge receipt of your private & confidential advices of the 5th inst. the contents of which have had our attention.
Our Mr George to whom we had sent copies of the correspondence we have exchanged in this connection has returned to the Office today, but he is unable to add anything to what we have already said to you upon the subject; the only idea which suggested itself to his mind in the first instance, as it did to you, was that Messrs William Stapledon & Sons were the only firm who were available as independent Agents, but he at once realised that Messrs Alfred Holt & Co. were not at all likely to allow them to undertake an Agency that might & probably would be in opposition to their own interests; the whole situation is full of difficulties, but one idea has suggested itself to our minds and that is, that as Messrs Lambert Brothers have made it quite clear that after the War they must have some trade to compensate them for the loss of the P. & O. Co's business even if they have to fight for it & inasmuch as most of your 'eggs are in one basket' (namely the Blue Funnel Line), we were wondering whether if you were called upon to make any sacrifice they, the Osaka Shosen Kaisha might not be made a 'pis aller' in this connection.
We are, Dear Sirs,
Yours truly,

James Burness & Sons