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but then asked for his identity papers, which they had verified by the Russian consul, who refused to recognise him as a [Russian] subject. He was promptly interned and then shipped off to Australia. Stein, of course, had a lot of interesting news from Singapore, namely about our company. In early 1915 it, too, was widely attacked as a German company that should be liquidated and thus felt obliged to publish, via Webster, a statement from its shareholders in the papers. Because apart from Loch and Brandt all are English or naturalised Englishmen, not much could be done. The retail trade suffered, however, especially with all the Germans interned, and so the firm was forced to close down the retail business, which in earlier years had not been profitable anyway. Most of the stock was sold on to Robinson & Co and Whiteaway Laidlaw, and the shop area was leased to a Chinese concern for 15 years at very good terms. It seems by far the best solution,