THE SLIM HUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2711, 4 March 1916, Page 12

THE SLIM HUN

—o- —-— CUNNING METHODS IN ARGENTINA. Trading with the enemy has been prohibited in British countries, and the cancellation of enemy trado marks i 6 in progress. Yet in countries outside British rulo British investors are to be found preparing to profit from the defeat of the Allies if such an unlikely contingency should arise. The methods of a trading company in South America, under AngloFrench control, have been exposed by the Buenos Ayres "Herald," a pro-British journal o£ standing, which, since the war began, lias been owned and managed by Australian journalists. In its 'issue on November i it satirically congratulated the British shareholders of the Argentine Tobacco Company, Ltd., on tho "great prescience and remarkable business acumen*' of the local management in "preparing to turn the downfall of the British Empire into a source of revenue by robbing the Germans of tho advertis-, 'lug advantage that would accrue to them should they prove victorious." It seems that the. company has registered trado marks and brands that should prove exceedingly valuable in the event of many proving the victor. Two of these brands to be applied to tobacco,. and to be sold on. the strength of German victory are "German Triumph" aud Germany Trophy." The chairman of this company, which" was floated in London in 1911, is Baron E. B. d'Erlanger (London), and his colleagues are Baron F. A. d'Erlanger (London), J. Gerod (Paris), C. Kitchin (London), J. C. Gibson (London), and Baron ]?: Portalis (Paris). Surely the London Board cannot be. aware of the action taken by its officers in Buenos Ayres? Germans aud Austrians are employed by the company there, and tlie most generous construction to be placed upoi? the company's action is to throw the responsibility for such disloyal!l' on those employees. It only goes to show, however, that by prohibitive duties, rather than by patriotic sentimentality, will German goods bo kept fvoui flooding the markets of Great Britain and Australia .when the war is over. Sentiment in matters of business is not sufficiently widespread to defeat the plans of the wilv German trader. Another inuident which illustrates tho thoroughness of German methods occurred at Buenos Ayres (luring the early stages oi the war, when wireless warnings were given from tho Argentina capital to the German cruisers lying ill wait for British merchantmen leaving the River Plate. Colliers regularly left port to coal tho Gorman vessels at sea. To permit coal to l>e loaded for this purpose was a breach of neutrality, but German gold had been freely showered in the right quarter, and the official eye was closed. Oil one occasion the "Herald's" Australian editor drew tile Government's attention to the fact that n vessel was about to leave port heavily laden nith coal, presumably for a German - warship. The Government made inquiries, and required tlie captain to discharge a certain quantity of coal. Tlie captain was equal to tho occasion. When night fell he had' the Plimsolf mark painted out,'and then painted in a couple of feet above tlie water-line. The Customs officials were satisfied, the collier left port, and the worship filled her bunkers. It is no easy 1 matter to circumvent the crafty Teuton. 1