Board of Trade: Enemy Debts Committee: Correspondence and Papers

BT 8

1916-1919

Minutes, reports, correspondence, evidence, analysis of returns from the Public Trustee, and other papers of the Enemy Debts Committee.

Public Record(s)

English

26 box(es)

Topics

Trade and commerce

Debt

The Enemy Debts Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Sir Henry Babington Smith by a Treasury minute of 13 November 1916, 'to report on the arrangements to be adopted for the liquidation of the commercial, banking and other financial transactions between British and enemy persons, the completion of which was prevented by the outbreak of war, and for this purpose to consider the returns made to the Custodian of Enemy Property and to the Public Trustee and the Foreign Claims Office, and any information or matters relative thereto.'

The committee received written and oral evidence from a large number of witnesses. They also received returns from the Public Trustee of property held or managed on behalf of alien enemies and returned under s.3(1) of the Trading with the Enemy (Amendment) Act, 1914, and of debts and bank balances due from enemies to British firms or persons and of property held by enemies for British firms or persons, returned under a royal proclamation of 7 September 1916.

The committee presented the report on 23 January 1918, but remained in existence to complete business and to present supplementary recommendations. After its recommendations had been largely embodied in the Peace Settlements it was dissolved by a Treasury minute of 10 June 1920.