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Japp, Hatch & Company Limited
20, Castle Street,

Liverpool, May 27th 1918
Messrs. Worms & Co. - Paris

Dear Sirs,
We have your favour of the 23rd inst., and have read with much interest all you write regarding renewal of contract for Collins Green Florida Coal, July/june 1919. We have seen Messrs James Moss & Co., with a view to ascertaining what likelihood there is of their having a more continuous service to Bordeaux during the coming 12 months. They tell us that they consider that they have now got the several Departments concerned to realise that their Bordeaux boats should he maintained, in view of the fact that they carry homeward cargo for account of three different Government Departments, and we understand that the Departments concerned have been in touch with the Ministry of Shipping, with the result that Messrs Moss consider that in the very near future they will have the "Luque" liberated, which steamer, in addition to the "Libourne", will give them two regular boats for the Bordeaux trade. Of course, Messrs Moss point out there is always the risk of these boats being put out of service by the action of the enemy, but apart from this, they think they have reasonable grounds to consider that they will be allowed to run both their steamers in the Bordeaux trade.
They also mentioned to us that if they could get better despatch in Bordeaux, they would even run a third steamer, but the delay, owing to shortage of labour in Bordeaux, does not assist them in running any more than two steamers at the present time. Messrs Moss are quite willing to go on carrying coal ship by ship at the rate of freight laid down, same always to be subject to any revision, and ask us whether we intend to continue our shipments, and in order to keep them from sounding the ground with any other coal exporters, we told them this morning that we considered you would be taking advantage of shipping a parcel by each boat they may have to load for Bordeaux.
If everything goes along all right, and Messrs Moss are able to keep running the two steamers to Bordeaux, they ought to be able to lift a very reasonable amount during the coming twelve months, if we can only manage to secure the coals required for each boat.
With regard to the question of the colliery, they are not at the present time agreeable to let contractors have arrears of coal, so that we should have no trouble in agreeing with the colliery that arrears not taken month by month are to be cancelled, so that at the end of the contract in June 1019, you would not be saddled with any arrears of coal at 27/6d. or more to lift.
Naturally we should not like our competitors to get hold of the room by Messrs Moss's steamers, and naturally, if you are not to continue doing the business, Messrs Moss will certainly have to fall back on some other firm of exporters, and we should be in a very bad position for obtaining the room after the war is over, if we once lose our hold of the room which we hate held for some time past now with Messrs Moss.
We shall be glad to learn, in view of what we write above, that you are able to instruct us to continue with Collins Green and Messrs Moss.
Yours faithfully,

Japp, Hatch and Company Limited