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Home , August 1919, Macedonian front, Milne Barbour, October 1918, War memorials (Oise), World War I casualties

Irish Voices from the First World A blog based on PRONI sources

Certificate of service to in World War One by volunteer, D1998/2

October 1918 to

The Armistice of was drafted to bring about a cessation of hostilities but not to conclude the process of unconditional surrender by the German government. One of the initial difficulties in the settlement of peace after Armistice was identification by the Allies of the source of legitimate administrative authority in after the abdication of the Kaiser and while the country lay on the brink of social collapse in 1919. Accordingly, the Armistice had to be prolonged three times (in and in January and ) before the ratified the 34 clauses of the Armistice in . Numerous small-scale post-war military conflicts lingered on or erupted for more than a year after peace in Western was concluded. There was a great deal of administrative work also involved in moving from war to peace.

Ration book issued to demobilised servicemen during 1918 and 1919, D961/7

Document 1: News from the Macedonian Front as Allied forces bring about surrender of Bulgarian Army, Sept-Oct 1918 [D1893/14, 15]

After lengthy spells of inactivity or attritional combat during 1916 and 1917 the multi-cultural Allied force based in Eastern struck out north and east through the Bulgarian lines. The Allies were able to take advantage of failing morale and rising revolutionary sentiment in the Bulgarian army in the course of the offensive of . Internal pressures in the Bulgarian army broke out in mutiny and democratic protest by early just as an Armistice was signed by the enfeebled Bulgarian regime. After a year of negotiation the Treaty of Neuilly, 27th November 1918, ratified the cession of Bulgarian territory and imposed heavy war reparations.

1st October 1918 Dr. George McCaul to his father.

I at last find a few minutes leisure (after a most strenuous 12 days marching and fighting) to sit down and write you a short note. Youǯll be glad to know that up to date Iǯve escaped unscathed & that come 12 noon yesterday all fighting between us and the Bulgars has officially ceased – for the time being anyhow. I expect this news will have caused tremors of excitement in . , isolated, can hardly carry on now. In the meantime here I am attached to the 66th Field Ambulance & busy treating ordinary illnesses/I received yesterday the first mail for three weeks including a nice interesting letter from Ada, of Sept 3rd and yourself the 4th enclosing one from Ada of the 3rd & from Mary undated. It is exciting news about Mary/I was very sorry indeed to hear your old trouble had become so acute that youǯd had to consult Mitchell of /a successful operation would make a new man of you/glad to hear from Ada that George the third is going on so famously. It is a great matter he is such a healthy youngster/Tonight I am off five miles away to give a hand at an outlying section of this Field Ambulance. I am writing this from the side of a well-known lake in Serbian territory. Have had lots of excitement with the South Wales Borderers. Lay all day of 19th in a ravine right under Johnnyǯs nose & we were shelled to blazes. Was kept busy attending the wounded. Colonel Dobbs has, I believe, put forward my name for decoration for my work on the 19th/Iǯm glad to have given him satisfaction in my work/a nicer man & finer soldier I never wish to meet. On the night of the 19th Johnny evacuated his positions and on the 20th we set off after him. It was extremely interesting passing through his positions which had resisted all our attacks for three years. The stinks were pretty awful, blackened swollen dead men, horses and mules here and there all over the battlefield. I can't tell you details of our further except to say that we chased his rear guard right up over mountains 6,000 feet high and across the frontier into . Then we came back to rest/and since yesterday there is no further war here. I hope it will last so too. We got heavily shelled by his rearguard & I had many unpleasant experiences & close shaves/for the present Iǯm safer than Iǯd be in town (1st Oct 1918)

D1893/15 George McCaul to Matthew W. McCaul Jhansi United Provinces Central . Monday, 29th Oct 1918

I havenǯt had word of you or from you for several weeks so donǯt know whether you are still in Jhansi or in Mescho, East Africa or even in this country. So Iǯll address as of old. Iǯve been having a dickens of an interesting, busy and often exciting time of it with the 22nd Division, since Sept 7th or 8th when I left Salonica for up country. Youǯll have read of our attacks on the Dorrian front to prevent the Bulgars sending aid to their confreres further west being pressed back by the Franco-. Well, I was in all these operations with the 8th South Wales Borderers as their M.O. – including the following up of the Bulgar rearguard during his evacuation. I was lucky to come out of it all unscathed & my colonel – Colonel Dobbs (a Derry man whose brother is rector of Eglinton) recommended me for decoration with the happy result that a week ago I was officially informed from Hodgins that Iǯd gained the . So thatǯs all right. Iǯm particularly glad for Foster & the old Dadǯs sake and also because if I ever go to Derry it will put me on a level with Crosbie & Smallseed. Also nowadays the M.C. & D.S.O. can only be worn inside the shell zone and so are more valuable than they had become lately. No base wallahs can get the M.C. nowadays. Youǯll have heard about Mary Ǯexpectingǯ – February sometime I believe! No time wasted there! In the last letter I had from Father heǯd motored to Belfast for a holiday & was stopping with Ada & was in good form. Much better with his old enemy (haemorrhoids) than heǯd been for some time. Heǯd consulted Mitchell, the surgeon, about them and was relieved the worst offender could be removed under cocaine at any time. Iǯve been having a bit of real soldiering lately. Trekking every day for a fortnight - several hours daily in the saddle. I must have covered about 170 or 180 miles altogether (about 70 of it through country no British force had ever marched along before) when I was ordered to leave the column and proceed back about 23 miles to this famous old port (Kavalla) and run a hospital or aid port here till relieved by a C.C.S. Am expecting the C.C.S. hourly but the longer it takes in getting here, the better Iǯll be pleased. I got here on night of 25th & have been very busy (being singlehanded) in running a hospital in a big tobacco warehouse belonging to my host – a Mr Arrington from . The American vice-consul & manager of a largely American tobacco buying & exporting company. I am lucky in being billeted with him as his house is about the only house in the city the Bulgars respected & that was not pillaged & clean skinned out by them before they took their departure about a month ago. Result – Iǯm in clover, sleep in a spring bed, feed with Arrington with china & tablecloths on the table, have a bath every morning in a real bath, Oh Iǯve Ǯclickedǯ this last four days & no mistake. Moreǯs the pity of it is only likely to last another day or two. Then back to the Field Ambulance. Iǯve been trekking with but this time I motor to a railhead & re-join them by train at a Bulgar port close to the Turkish frontier. By this lucky move Iǯve been saved about 70 miles trekking & have had a few days delightful change of living conditions. At the moment I am the one & only medical man in the place so am kept pretty busy, having about 80 or 90 patients to attend to daily. Also I have to evacuate a batch of 30 or so every day by rowing boat to in the harbour which carry them back to our advanced Base at Stavros. This fine port and harbour was treacherously handed over to the Bulgars by Constantino's tools [King Constantine of Greece, pro-Axis monarch] immediately after Bulgaria declared war. I had crossed on trek a mile or two into Bulgaria before being sent back here. It has been a most interesting experience & this trek bids fair to become historic. Address letters c/o ADMS 22nd Division. Hope this finds you well – write by return. I had a few days fever before starting on trek but I think it was only Ǯfluǯ. Cheerio – chin chin – your affectionate brother, George. Document 2: Lonely correspondence from German prisoner-of-war camp to friends in Carrickfergus [D1686/5]

Though arrangements were made early in 1918 for the exchange of British and German invalided and long-term prisoners-of-war the POW population in the 230 German camps remained high until the Armistice. Hugh McKeown of Carrickfergus plaintively appeals for letters from home, probably cheered however by signs that the war was coming to an end. His friend, James Boyd, aged 23 in 1918, son of a shipwright, was a merchant sailor at the time.

10th Oct Letter of Hugh McKeown to James Boyd, 13 Unity Street, Carrickfergus

Dear James I received your ever welcome letter, glad to hear you are well as this leaves me the same. Yes, I am sure you are fed up with running about home, for I am sure it is very dull. I see by the paper that they are getting plenty of recruits now, it is about time they were thinking of joining up. I think some of them were never as well of in their lives, as they are now. I was very sorry to hear about C Legg for he was a fine young man. The old town has lost very heavy in this war. I had a letter from home and they were saying that they had bad weather at home now, it is a bit cold out here. If a fellow was at home he would not think so much about it as long as he had a good bed to go to, and a good square meal. There is no chance of leave yet. I may get about the same time as last year and I hope it will be the last one. I am sorry to hear about M Houston. If we are out here much longer there will be no one at home that we will know. I have not seen Tommy for over a week, but I was speaking to J Harper. He looks all-right, he has been out a couple of years. You would not think that I have been out three years, on the fourth of this month, not a bad spell. I have been fairly lucky through it all. I think the sport is dead about home. I thought that they would have run some sort of a team. G. McIlwaine must have been a long time in hospital for he was in it when I was at home. I suppose you will be getting ready to go away. If not away by the time you get this, I hope you will get a good boat and a safe voyage. I will know what is wrong if I donǯt get an answer to this for a while. I am always glad to get your letter. I only get two from Carrick now, that is, one from yourself and the other from W. Harper. When I get your letter and has wrote an answer I feel ashamed to send it for there is nothing a fellow can say only that he is well so you must excuse my letters and the writing for I have not much time to write sometimes. I will have to close now for want of news, hoping you will excuse my letter writing. Tell all at home I was asking for them. Wishing you the best of luck, from your old friend, Hugh.

Document 3: French, British and German delegations agree Armistice in Compiègne Forest, Northern [D2638/D/97/21]

Famously, the Armistice signed in the forest of Compiègne took effect from 11 am ( time) on the 11th November 1918 (‘the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’). Though it represented an abject capitulation by the German Army, reflected over a year later by the imposition of severely punitive terms on the struggling country, the Armistice was not precisely a surrender. The Armistice was drafted mainly by Marshal and together with the usual cessation of hostilities and occupation of key industrial areas in the defeated country, also allowed for the elaboration of forms of reparations over an indefinite period. This fascinating account by Captain Francis Needham, 4th earl of Kilmorey, reveals something of the play of personality among the participants at the legendary encounter.

Friday 8th November 1918 Written from a train in Compiegne Forest. Sir Rosslyn Wemyss reached Paris this morning and we set off after lunch, in three cars, arriving at Marshal Fochǯs headquarters about four. Wemyss went in to see him for a few minutes, and we then went on to General du Caneǯs chateau for tea. He is the principal British liaison officer. We arrived at the station of at 5 pm and embarked in our train and as soon as the Marshal arrived the train started for a destination unknown to us. We got there about seven and are in a siding in the middle of a beautiful forest, cut off from the world except by telephone. We dined after we stopped and then met the Marshal and his staff. He has only got half-a-dozen – General Weygand, his chief of staff and others whose names I donǯt yet know. They are all as charming as possible and we are most comfortable. We British have a wagon-lit to ourselves with all possible conveniences; there are several other wagon-lits and a dining saloon, the Marshalǯs own saloon and one or two saloon-cars fitted up as offices, typing and telephone rooms. The Bosches ought to have arrived about midnight but only got here at 7 am, in a similar train which pulled up on a siding about 100 yards away. As soon as they arrived Weygand sent to their train and intimated that if they wished to see the Marshal he would be disposed to receive them in his train at 9 am exactly. The party consists of four plenipotentiaries and two officer interpreters. There are two – Erzberger, the Catholic Liberal Deputy and Secretary of State, Minister Count Obendorff (a diplomat), -General von Winterfeldt and Captain von Vanselow of the German navy. The Boches evidently wish to make it principally a affair and the Fench and we are very angry with them for only sending military and naval officers of rather subordinate rank. At 9 am the party approached us in single file and got into the saloon, there, with the exception of Foch and Wemyss, who remained in the Marshalǯs saloon, we received them stiffly but courteously. The Boches all looked most uncomfortable and rather nervous. Weygand then said he would announce their arrival to the Marshal and went to fetch him. Foch and Wemyss then entered and exchanged salutes and we lined up on each side of the table thus:

Obendorff Erzberger Winterfeldt Vanselow (interpreters)

Hope Wemyss Foch Weygand

Foch then asked the reason of their visit and they said they had come to Ǯhear the Alliesǯ propositions for the creation of an Armistice. The marshal then said that he had no propositions to make so Obendorff read an extract from President Wilsonǯs last dispatch. That would not do for Foch, and he asked them definitely to state if they had come to ask for an Armistice. On their saying that such was the case, Foch asked for their credentials and he and Wemyss retired to examine them. On their return Foch asked Erzberger to introduce the members of the Mission and then did the same for us. He then informed them that he was empowered by the Allied Governments to communicate to them the terms on which the Armistice would be granted. The terms were then read out to them and evidently made them squirm but they probably were prepared for most of them, as they must know the present military position and the state of mutiny that is in their fleet. When the reading of the terms was completed, Winterfeldt had the cheek to ask for a suspension of hostilities in order to save further loss of life. Of course Foch refused and they then asked for copies of the terms, for facilities to send a radio message to their Government. This was agreed to and they then retired till 4.30 when we are to meet again to go through the clauses. Erzberger was very nervous at first and spoke with some difficulty, the General awfully sad, the diplomat very much on the alert and the sailor sullen and morose.

Later – The only thing that happened this afternoon was that Captain Vanselow came to discuss certain points in the naval terms with Marriott and myself. He positively cringed to us and was like a whipped dog. He said the country and army would starve if we did not remove our blockade, that their army did very well in April and May but that after that Bolshevism crept in. Von Winterfeldt told Weygand much the same and it is remarkable that there is not a sign of the usual German arrogance and insolence from any of the party. They evidently realise that the game is up, and they are trying to work on our feelings by impressing on us the seriousness of Bolshevism. The army is badly shaken and staff disarranged, so much so that the courier was unable to pass the lines last night as they fired on him in his car and he had to turn back. This means that we are not likely to hear anything today.

Sunday. Here we are still in the same place and are no further at present as the courier did not pass the lines till after two yesterday afternoon and, besides that, there is a revolution going on in Germany with a new government in power and it is impossible to find out who is dealing with us. We had a busy evening after dinner discussing a paper sent to us by our neighbours in the opposite train. This morning I had another interview with von Vanselow.

Monday, Paris – The Armistice was signed at 5.15 this morning after three hours meeting so we were up all night. There were one or two informal meetings during the day between Weygand and von Winterfeldt and between Vanselow and myself and they sent in a long paper protesting against some of the terms, but it was evident from their manner that they thought they would have to agree, and in the evening they got a telegram from the Chancellor telling them to sign with certain reservations, but eventually they signed with only a few modifications. Erzberger did most of the talking and was evidently pleased to get it over, as he must want to get back. The soldier seemed to feel it greatly, the sailor did so less, the diplomat didnǯt say much but I expect he was thinking a great deal. After signing they read a declaration saying how hard it was on the women and children and how well they had fought. Foch was splendid, very quiet and dignified and very firm. Winterfeldtǯs father was one of the people who made out the terms of surrender at Sedan in 1870. The things they minded most were the short time of evacuation of the various countries and the continuation of the blockade. They made much more fuss about them than the giving up of submarines and ships.

Document 4: Planning in Northern after the end of the conflict [D972/18]

As everywhere in the and France there was naturally urgent emotional significance to the act of raising monuments to the memory of sons and relatives lost to families in the war. Directly after the Armistice church and other committees assembled to raise funds for the design and construction of the memorials. The patriotic journalism of Wilfrid Spender describing the glorious advance of the 36th (Ulster) Division at the Somme in crystallised a sense among the Unionist population that the casualties of war represented a sacrifice to the British Empire that forged a bond in perpetuity to Britain. This meant that the pain of loss was intertwined in Ulster with the political significance of these tributes

Antrim Meeting held at court house, Belfast, 29th November 1918.General Sir William Adair KGB in the chair. There were also present W.H. Lyons, Col Robert McCalmont M.P., Major Charles C. Craig M.P., H.B. Murray, Wilfrid Haughton, James Leslie, Thomas H. Torrens, Thomas Greer, James Young, Charles Macartney, G.B. Young, William Stewart, James Stewart, James Caruth, George L Young, J Milne Barbour, George Reade, J.J. Kilpatrick, W.H. Webb, Major J.A. Montgomery, William Coates, Major Arthur Dobbs, J. McGregor Greer & D.M. Barton, acting Hon Secretary (22)

The Hon Secretary read apologies from the following for non-attendance/(seventeen individuals named in document)/many of them expressing their interest in the scheme for a county war memorial and promising help. At the suggestion of the chairman Mr Barton gave a short sketch of what he suggested should be the form the memorial would take. In his opinion this should be an obelisk erected in a central portion of the County on which the names of all who had died in the service of the King during the war from should be placed and he gave a rough estimate of the cost of such an obelisk as £25,000 which he thought could be raised. Mr W.R. Young proposed local monuments in preference and if a county monument were erected its cost should not exceed £2000 to £5000. A vote being taken of those present it was carried by a large majority that a County Monument should be erected as proposed by Mr Barton and that it should take the form of an obelisk upon which the names so suggested be placed with probably their place of residence. A discussion took place on the most desirable site for the proposed monument. Major Charles Craig suggested The Knocks. Mr James L Young – Ramore Head. Mr TH Greer the Giants Causeway or the County Antrim Court House, Belfast. Mr J Milne Barbour - Colin Top, Mr H.D.L. Barton, Slemish Mountain and finally Mr A.R. Young proposed and it was agreed that a committee be appointed to examine the several sites proposed with any others likely to be suitable and to report to a future meeting, the following to be on the committee: North Antrim: T.H. Greer & Wilfrid Naughton Mid-Antrim: James Caruth, A.R. Young East Antrim: J.H. Torrens South Antrim: George L Young & S.F. McCauce And the member of parliament for the four divisions of County Antrim, Mr Barton, being asked to act as the secretary & Sir Wm Adair Chairman.

It was arranged that a circular be prepared and a subscription list opened as soon as the site was selected.

Field Marshal John French, Commander-in-Chief B.E.F. 1914-1915, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1918 to 1921, takes salute of officers of 36th (Ulster) Division at Belfast Armistice parade, D961/7

Children frolicking on Peace Day, 8th , D961/7 Document 5: Relief of American civilian population after Armistice signed [D2630/2/40]

Sue Pennington, emigrant from Waringstown, County Down, living in 1918 at 152a Madison St, Brooklyn, New York, USA, writes to her aunt, Miss E. Nelson, Knockboy House, Waringstown, complaining that she hasn't heard from her for a long time. She comments on shifts in the American mood towards the end of the war and especially popular indignation with regard to the behaviour of the German High Command. (Her idiosyncratic spelling has been left untouched).

/I suppose you were glad when the war was over I know everyone in this country is but it is terrible to see the poor boys coming home here without legs and arms, Nelson's boy has been in France since last March. I have not heard wether he is alive or not but I hope he is as he has only the one boy in the lettler which I received from Rev Gillispie he said something about Willie being wounded or killed in the beginning of the war. I hope he was only wounded but almost everyone has lost some relative, it was awfull that old Kiaser was the casue of it all he should be roasted alive for all he has done. There is one thing if he was in this country he would not live ling the people here does certainly hate him. We had a great time when the news came that the war was over all the bells and whistles and horns were ringing and blowing and the people cheering; it was a glorious time and lasted for a whole week every night. Their was 2 days of real Holiday and the British French and American flags were flying all over. There was a grand Holliday Saturday we called it British day and the certainly did honor to England and her soldiers for the winning of the war, of course it was America that put the finishing touch to the Kiaser

Official programme for five days of Peace Celebrations in Belfast, August 1919, D961/7

Document 6: Enthusiastic Peace Celebrations held in Belfast, August 1919 [D/3330/B/1/1919]

It has been mentioned that the Armistice had to be extended three times during 1918 and 1919 before the German surrender could be legally secured. In practical terms, the biggest step in this process was getting the new German democratic national assembly sitting at Weimar, in late , to authorise future signature of the Armistice. Official peace celebrations around the United Kingdom had been postponed till this step was made. A ‘national open air thanksgiving’ was held in Trafalgar Square, London, attended by a victory march on 6th . Celebrations continued in Britain till late July. Peace was celebrated in Belfast over the weekend of 8th-12th August 1919. A temporary , a replica of the monument at Whitehall, was set up in Belfast outside City Hall. An eleven mile long procession wound through Belfast, led by the officers and men of the 36th Ulster Division. Lord French of took the salute of the troops. Crowds rejoiced and children were treated in green areas all over the city.

Thursday 7th August 1919 /the decorations for Peace Saturday were erected by Messrs Mayers at the office of the Belfast Telegraph.

Friday 8th August 1919 Peace celebrations: Attended a meeting at the Lord Mayorǯs parlour at 11.30 am. Very satisfactory statements were made by the various speakers in connection with the huge sum of money collected by the people of Belfast for the purpose of entertaining about 36,000 soldiers at the Ormeau Park on Saturday. There will be a procession through the town commencing at the Limestone Road and concluding at the Ormeau Park/

Saturday 9th August 1919 Peace Day. It was a beautiful summerǯs day. Mrs Brown and R.H.H.B. left the office at 10.30 pm and were one of the party to witness the March Past at the City Hall. The first part of the procession appeared at 11.58 am and it took over three hours to pass. It was estimated that there were about 36,000 men and although it was thought that only 10,000 men could pass in an hour, the rate was 12,000 each hour. Refreshments were supplied in the City Hall and RHHB met a good many friends, including Mr C.W. Henderson, who came specially from London to witness the procession. The Lord Mayor entertained a select party to lunch. R.H.H.B. was one of the party and also Mrs Brown and on the stand with Mrs Brown and RHHB were the Revd PC Duncan of Carndonagh and Mrs Duncan. They also had lunch with the private party in the small Banqueting Hall. RHHB met Major Blackwood of the RGA, who was, during the war, stationed for a time at Kilroot, and other friends, and after the procession the Rev Duncan, Major Blackwood, Captain Storey and Mr CW Henderson were invited to the Belfast Evening Telegraph office and refreshments were had there and also speeches. During the day Major Baird, Mrs Baird and family were in the office and there were upwards of 100 strangers witnessed the procession from the various windows. Refreshments were supplied by Major Baird and these were distributed by the ladies who were on duty during that day. There was a splendid turn out of all the workers, not a man or woman being off in the Victory, Stables, Case Room or Stereotype Departments, and late in the evening RHHB had the women who work in the Victory Room brought into his office and Mrs Brown made each of them a little present in honour of the day and RHHB thanked them for their excellent services. There was no reference in the Newsletter to the publication of the booklet by W & G Baird, 28,000 copies of which were printed and distributed to the soldiers during the day in the Ormeau Park/

Frontispiece of Peace Day Souvenir programme, Belfast Corporation, August 1919 (D961/7)

Document 7: Mathers & Bunting, Lurgan, pursue claim respecting unpaid commercial debt against the firm, Graetz & Müller () and the German Government, under Article 304 of the Treaty of Versailles, between 1920 and 1922 [D/1326/18/64]

One of the lesser-known facets of the Versailles Treaty was the establishment of provisions, under Articles 297 and 304 of the Treaty, for reclaiming private debts incurred due to the cessation of normal commercial arrangements early on in the war, for which the German Government was deemed responsible. Ulster linen firms importing flax and exporting linen goods suffered a myriad of pecuniary losses for this reason during late 1914. Some of them laid off workers and closed operations for a time between 1914 and 1915 in order to balance their books. They were given a chance to make good these losses in 1919 and 1920. In this case Mathers & Bunting initiated a prosecution to recover the sum of £45 6 shillings and 3 pence due for the delivery of a consignment of linen handkerchiefs. The formal legal document is printed below along with pencilled interpolations (italics) taken from the draft by L’Estrange & Brett. It seems that Mathers & Bunting, after some consideration, decided, in early 1922, to take action before the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal, St James Square, London, to deal with apparent German procrastination in dealing with their claim. There is no clue in this correspondence as to the ultimate outcome, however.

Mathers & Bunting v The German Treuhander Claim

1. The claimants are: Anthony Bunting and Wilfrid Bunting trading as Mathers & Bunting. They are of British nationality, of British domicile and the address of both is Lurgan, Ireland. They are handkerchief manufacturers. 2. The claim is against the German Treuhander (State Trust) 3. The nature of the claim is for payment for goods sold and delivered to Messrs Graetz & Muller of Kollnischer Fischmarkt 6, Berlin on 10th . Payment of the sum of £44 3s 7d and interest thereon from 10th July 1914 until the date of payment is now sought. 4. The claim is made under article 297 of the Treaty of Versailles. 5. Messrs LǯEstrange & Brett solicitors, 9 Chichester Street, Belfast are the authorised representatives of the claimants/.

Statement of facts supporting the above claim

On the 10th day of July 1914 Messrs Mathers & Bunting of Lurgan, Ireland, shipped c/o Messrs Sutcliffe & Sons, Grimsby, certain linen goods to Messrs Graetz & Muller of Berlin, at the price of £45:6:3. Owing to the outbreak of hostilities Messrs Mathers & Bunting were never paid for these goods. (In particulars of this debt was furnished to the Public Trustee, interest being charged at 6% per annum) Messrs Mathers & Bunting made a claim to the Clearing Office (Enemy Debts) for the sum of £45:6:3 as proceeds of liquidation of their property in Germany in 1920. After correspondence a communication was received from the Inquiry Department of the Government Settlement office in Germany, stating that the amount claimed was disputed for the reasons therein mentioned (see copies translation herewith). Subject to this, however, the debt was admitted by the German debtors who stated that they had, during the War, paid the sum of £44:3:7 to the Treuhander. (As will be seen a sum was paid by Messrs Graetz & Muller to the German custodian for enemy property during the war ¼» ®°°¼—»– ¼³ –µ¶• ±²¯–…!• »¼ ½¿¼˜¶•¶¼» ¶• º®±² —»±²¿ –µ² Treaty for the payment of interest, Messrs Mathers & Bunting now also claim the sum of £19:10:0 compensation in lieu of interest in respect of loss of use of the said sum of £45:6:3 from 1914 to the present day) On the 11th a communication was received from the German authorities disputing a portion of the claim, but Messrs Mathers & Bunting, in order to hasten matters conceded the disputed amount, making their claim now £44:3:7 and interest thereon. Since the above date the Clearing Office (Enemy Debts) have made constant endeavours to have the claim settled by the Treuhander without any effect whatsoever. (if payment should not take place within the period of six months from the date of this application, Messrs Mathers & Bunting claim such further compensation as may seem just to the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal for loss of use of said sum/)

Article 297, Treaty of Versailles, 28th June 1919 (D1326/18/64)

W.J.P. Wilson, secretary, Mathers & Bunting: handkerchief manufacturers to Belfast Chamber of Commerce, 7 Donegall Square West 19th

Dear Sirs, I beg to hand you for your information the following copy of letter dated 5th inst, to The Secretary, Association of British Chambers of Commerce, from the Controller, The Clearing Office (Enemy Debts), Cornwall House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.1. ǮThe Controller has of late been giving the subject of the delay in the admission of Claims under Article 297 very careful consideration and has come to the conclusion that the time has now arrived when claimants should lodge their memorials with the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal. As you know, he has used every effort to expedite the settlement of these claims, Germany is under an obligation to make returns of all British and Allied property in German territory liquidated during the war under German exceptional war measures. The time within which these returns should have been made has long since expired, but the Controller had hoped that as a result of the continuous pressure which has been put upon the German authorities, they would have complied with their Treaty obligation in this respect. Whilst this has undoubtedly had some effect in expediting the delivery of the returns, the vast bulk of them have not been rendered. Until credit in respect of the proceeds of liquidation of property has been passed to the Controller by the German Clearing Office, he is, as you know, precluded from paying British claimants. In these circumstances, he would suggest the issue by you of a general notice to your members advising them to lodge at once their memorials with the Tribunal. Any information as to the proper procedure to be adopted I shall be delighted to give to Claimants if they will either call at or write to this Departmentǯ/..

Application of Mathers & Bunting to Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal, London, (D1326/18/64)

Mathers & Bunting to Messrs LǯEstrange & Brett Belfast 16th

Gentlemen, We are in receipt of your favour of yesterday enclosing letter from Clearing Office (Enemy Debts) re our claim against Graetz & Muller. In reply we beg to say that we would rather you did not bring the matter before the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal until we have looked into the matter further as we understand it is very expensive and uncertain/

Secretary, The Clearing Office (Enemy Debts) Cornwall House, Stamford Street, London To Mathers & Bunting 2nd

With further reference to your letter of the 15th ultimo, I am directed by the Controller to state that he observes that your clients have decided to avail themselves of the remedy provided by the Treaty of Versailles, in cases where the German authorities unduly neglect or delay to credit proceeds of liquidation due, in that they propose to lodge a memorial with the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal in respect of the Statement of Claim, numbered as above/.

Please note all the documents used in this blog have been edited for clarity and, in some cases abridged. For more information on the documents and PRONI’s sources relating to the First World War see our Guide to the Sources for the Study of the First World War in PRONI.

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