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Japp, Hatch & Company Limited

20, Castle Street

Liverpool, July 22nd 1918
Messrs. Worms & Co. - Paris

Dear Sirs,
Messrs James Moss & Co. telephoned us this afternoon to inform us that they had just received a letter from Messrs Astie & Co. of Bordeaux. In this letter Messrs Astie distinctly state that they were informed by Messrs Worms & Co. that you have all the room guaranteed to you by Messrs Moss & Co. in their steamers. Messrs Moss & Co. are naturally very distressed at this, and consider that it has been most untactful on somebody's part in your establishment in Bordeaux, in making such a statement to Messrs Astie & Co. You are well aware that Messrs James Moss & Co. have all along tried to retain the room in their steamers to carry coal for your goodselves, and they are replying to Messrs Astie & Co. that they must be under a misunderstanding. You will readily appreciate that if Messrs Astie commence writing to their agents in Liverpool, making such statements as that which they say has been given to them by someone out of your Bordeaux Office, naturally enough the agents here will bring the matter up before the Local Committee, and it will mean practically the end of shipments for account of your goodselves, as, in view of such a statement, the question would almost sure to be brought before the Mines Controller, and the available room by the steamers of Messrs Moss would be allocated to all the exporters, which would mean a shipment for account of your goodselves only very rarely. We can only suggest that your Bordeaux House puts this matter right with Messrs Astie as soon as a suitable opportunity affords itself, and that they make it quite clear to Messrs Astie that there is no question of Messrs Moss having guaranteed the room to your goodselves, but that at the most they are simply working off shipments which should long ago have been taken by them for your account.
We are sending a duplicate of this letter to Bordeaux, and can only hope that Messrs Astie will not bring the matter before their agents here, as they are sure to raise the question before the Local Committee with consequences which would not be altogether satisfactory to your goodselves. We are sure you will appreciate our reason for writing you in this way, as we are fully desirous of doing everything possible to retain our position with Messrs Moss, and to get as much coal as possible away by their steamers for your account.
Yours faithfully,

Japp, Hatch & Cy