The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-22
BRITISH SEIZE
GERMAN TRADE,
SAYS US. AGENT
NJ. c. Sternbach Charges
That Cable Messages From
This Side Are Held.
CITES SPECIFIC CASE
Wall Street Man Asserts Big
Oil Sale Was Lost Through
Interference.

Maurice c. Sternbach, agent for an
.1porting firm Of the Wall Street dis
u,ct has returned from Holland with
evidence of interference with cable
messages which he believes shows
strong British influence at work to
conserve all the Netherlands trade.
much Of which eventually finds its way
into Germany, for British firms solely.
Mr.. Sternbach sent a message to his
hrm in this city from Amsterdam May
asking for a price quotation on 1000
tarrels Of lubricating Oil which he had
arranged to sell to Holland firm. He
received no answer and cabled again
May IA On May 20 he received his
answer, but in the meantime. he has it
On good authority. British agent had
closed the deal.
Mr.. sternbach presents in evidence
the bill for cable charges returned to
him by the Government owned cable
company Of Holland. which transmits
It's message via England The state
ment that the sale was made even
tually'to an English firm he obtained
from a member Of the company with
which he had been dealing.
ofhers Seek German Trade.
Mr.. sternbach makes no attempt to
veil the fact that the oil he hoped to
sell to the Holland firm was intended for
Germany. The necessity Cor conoealing
this fact disappears. In his opinion, upon
Information which he obtained that large
numbers of British and French agents
are actively at work in occupied German
territory supplying the goods that Ger
mand needs. Their operations began soon
after the armistice, according to his
Information, and have continued unob-
etructed by any Of the obstacles that
are placed IN the way OF Americans
seeking to gain advantage from the
same trade.
The French officers with tho Army
Of Occupation are nothing but. French
merchants in the guise of officers," Mr..
sternbach declared. They have opened
the way for direct trade and their sales
must have reached into the hundred mil
lions. Much OF the goods which thsy
are selling the Germans are army stores,
clothes and manufactured goods of all
kinds
THE English In the occupied areas
are selling chiefly from army stores
which have piled I'D In England wait
ing for shipment to the war ZONES.
Upon the signing Of the arznistfce Eng
land sent her agents into the occupied
territory at once. At Cologne to-day
everybody except the Americans here
knows that the British Chamber Of
Commerce lists seventy English firms,
al Of them doing Q very Live sort Of
business.
Before I left Holland I was in
formed by party Of American Red
with goods of English manufacture"
American Agents Baked.
Mr.. sternbach herewith exhibited q
copy of the Cologne EeitHn0, which he
purchased in Amsterdam containing q
number Of Advertisements Of goods
offered for sale which he eays could
not possibly be secured within Ger
many. The names of the dealers IN
practically every case are not English,
but in other cases addresses of the
firms only are given. Among these
goods offered are typewriters, military
goods wines, manufactured articles.
perfumes. One Of the advertisements
Is plainly labelled ''FranEosisches
Haus" or French House.
During the three weeks that he tried
'nefect!vely to close the oil deal Mr..
ste-nbach met parties Of American
agents who were engaged as ineffectu-
ally ~ himself in an endeavor to cap
trs some OF tho German trade. In
order TO get into the occupied areas Il
vas necessary. he said. TO apply to Q
NJ Edwards. American commercial Mt.
ushs at The Hague and this permits
SION was regularly refused. Mr.. Edwards
rserred tho American agents to the
British IN most canes, Mr.. Sternbach
raid and ell efforts TO obtain British
Permission for the trip were futile
Tho Indignation which Mr.. Sternbacf
heis Is representative of that OF all th'
Americans who were In Holland during
Ms visit, he believes, and they wouit
have sent the story Of their dinicuitie,
70 America sooner except for their pro
found conviction that there would hav'
bean delay IN transmission OF the letters
Ihe evidence OF the activities OF thu
British and French in the occupied ter
ritory Is cumulative. Mr.. Sternbach says
ana Il no secret In either France or Eng
and, The news in America "a 30 new
mat he nan draw only further proof O
Impressed cable information and mai
delays II should be possible for AM
american export firm TO obtain tho lis
Oh thu seventy British firms who ar
members Of the Cologne Chamber o,
Commerce. he believes
British Divide business.
Ths sudden activity OF the Britisl
oaakS at Cologne and Rotterdam IL per
naps tho most significant indication o
mo trend trade has taken since the ar
inlstoe. Fully six months ago tn
standard Bank OF South Africa, wflicl
AZ; sternbach says Is the officially cred
Iteo clearance institution OF tho British
sVTerument opened at Rotterdam 10
Urls trade
From sources which Mr.. Sternbacl
eoes not believe politio TO divulge. h
,sarned that shortly after the Bank o
south Africa had become we'll estab
Hahed and trade with Germany was go
.ne on at remarkable scale, the power
Iu London and Westminster Bank CAV
expression TO q desire TO share 10 tn
business, According to Mr.. Sternbach'
'eWEy the second institution made such
priest 10 the British Government tina
AZ last a concession was granted whic'
ee resulted In a division of the banking
AZ The present time. Mr.. sternbacI
es!A tho stanard Bank OF South Afric
p;'ates throughout tho territory up (
so.ogns toward interior Germany. an
wa rest of German trade has bee
s s%hed over TO the London and West
,Shser Bank. This division has pu
ae british banks into n controlling posi-
aon Tor handling the rich German trad