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below the Cartel prices, the American representative was requested to arrange for his Group to bring their prices to parity with the British prices for the British Empire, making allowance for any additional duty, and to arrange also for his Group to observe the Cartel price for Rumania.

SHAPES (JOISTS, CHANNELS, AND BROAD-FLANGED BEAMS)

The American representative stated that his Group were at present looking into the prices which the Shapes Comptoir had queried and would report to the Committee as soon as possible.

WIRE RODS

The Committee considered the report received from the I. W. R. S. in regard to various matters:

(a) Differential for quality.-In regard to the I. W. R. S. claim that in zones of American influence they would have the right to deduct from the prices quoted by the Americans the extra for Open Hearth (S. M.) quality when in deficit, it was agreed that the I. W. R. S. be advised that the London Committee would have the power to authorize them to deduct the differential for quality in these zones when they are in deficit.

(b) Scale of prices submitted by the I. W. R. S. to the American Group.-The American representative stated that his Group had now agreed to these prices. (c) American sales to Egypt and Holland.-As regards the point raised by the I. W. R. S. that they had refrained from supplying EGYPT for a long period in order to reserve that market to IWECO, and the request made by I. W. R. S. that the American Group should withdraw from HOLLAND Since the I. W. R. S. supplied in that market only Wire Drawers belonging to IWECO, the American representative undertook to discuss the position with M. Brichant in order to see how far the American Group could fall into line with the Comptoir's arrangements.

(d) Belgium. In regard to a recent shipment by the American Group to BELGIUM, i. e. a home market, the American representative stated that he was at present taking up this matter with his Group in order to avoid a recurrence. (e) South China. In regard to the Comptoir's contention that the American Group should not have the right to fix the prices in SOUTH CHINA, as a zone of American influence, it was agreed that it should be pointed out to the Comptoir that the zones of influence were merely a convenient arrangement and did not form part of the terms of the Agreements, and that it was within the competence of the Comptoir to agree prices with the American Group.

COOPERATION IN NORTH EAST ASIA

The American representative raised the point as to competition between the Groups in this territory. It was agreed that the attention of the Comptoirs should be drawn to Clause 4 (page 22 of the Minutes) of the formula agreed by the Joint Co-Ordinating Committee, in which it was stated that every effort would be made to avoid members competing against each other, and the Committee expressed the view that requests for information should be met as far as the circumstances permitted.

EXHIBIT No. 483

[Map, entitled "Foreign customers receive service through an organization of 175 firms placed under the leadership of the Stahlunion-Export G. m. b. H., Dusseldorf, and situated in practically every country of the world," available in the files of the Subcommittee on War Mobilization]

EXHIBIT No. 484

[Letter, from Edward Barreau, dated May 15, 1941, to Dr. Eugene R. Pickrell, New York, N. Y.] MAY 15, 1941.

Dr. EUGENE R. PICKRELL,

New York, N. Y.

DEAR DR. PICKRELL: With reference to our conversation with Mr. Henry yesterday at the office of the Foreign Funds Control Division, I am attaching hereto copy of our reply to Form TFBE-1 of the Treasury Department, recently filled out and submitted to the Department.

This, I believe, contains all the facts concerning our company except that I want to amplify on the following:

The company during its operations prior to the outbreak of the present war was completely independent. The company never has acted as an agent for any of our German sources of supply. Our relationship with these sources, which we were free to change at any time, was purely that of buyer and seller. You will remember that during the past few years the company was repeatedly attacked in the courts by bondholders of the German concerns with which we were dealing in an effort to collect from us on judgements which these bond holders obtained against these German concerns, and in each and every case these actions were thrown out of court because no relationship between us and the respective German concerns could be proven. I leave it to your good judgment to mention these particular facts when you write to the Foreign Funds Control Division.

Since the outbreak of the war we have been mainly engaged in the South American fields, and our operations there have been likewise unrestricted as far as clientle is concerned, except such firms that may or may not be approved by the export Control Division of the Treasury Department.

The recent press attacks which have been made against the company by the Minister of Economic Warfare in London, therefore, to the effect that this company had formerly acted as a sales agent for the products of StahlunionExport G. m. b. H., a branch of the Vereinigte Stahlwerke, and that the company since the war, has been buying steel in the United States to fulfill existing and fresh contracts which would formerly have been supplied from Germany to Stahlunion subsidiaries and which may have some influence on the present attitude of the Foreign Funds Control Division, are essentially untrue. I know for a fact that countless exporters in the United States compete with me in the sale to the accounts with whom we are dealing. I also leave it to your good judgment to mention this in your letter to Mr. Henry.

From No. 4 of the attached reply to the Treasury Department it is also evident that on May 10, 1940, at the time when Executive Order 8389 was issued, the shares of this company were no longer the property of Netherland nationals, the stock having been sold by them to a Swiss concern on May 3, 1940. The official transfer of the shares from the Holland owners to the Swiss owners could only be made after a proper certificate of destruction could be furnished by the former Holland owners, as the stock certificate was destroyed during the German invasion of Holland, when the office building of the former owners was completely demolished by a direct hit from a German bomber. When the destruction certificate was finally secured, the stock was officially transferred to the new Swiss owners as of the date of its actual sale, namely, May 3, 1940.

With the above in addition to what is said in the attached form I think I have completely covered the matter of facts that Mr. Henry is looking for. Very sincerely yours,

EXHIBIT No. 485

[Letter from Edward Barreau, vice president, Steel Union-Sheet Piling. Inc., New York, to Heller & Co., Colombo (Ceylon), dated January 11, 1938]

Original, via airmail.

Copy, via ordinary mail.

Messrs. HELLER & Co.,

Colombo (Ceylon),

JANUARY 11, 1938.

GENTLEMEN: We wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 11, and also your proforma specification of December 9, and in reply wish to advise that we have received instructions from Stahlunion-Export G. m. b. H., Duesseldorf, to desist from further offering American material.

We have been informed that the conditions in the European steel business have changed drastically, and that our own mills are again in a position to make satisfactory deliveries.

For these reasons, we regret that we are at this time unable to furnish you with prices on the various specifications which you submitted; however, we wish to thank you for your cooperation in this matter, and remain,

Yours very truly,

STEEL UNION-SHEET PILING, INC.

Vice President.

E. Barreau/fcm

Carbon copy Abt. Nordamerika, Stahlunion-Export, G. m. b. H.

EXHIBIT No. 486

[Letter from Edward Barreau, Steel Union-Sheet Piling, Inc., dated March 8, 1938, to Mr. Berthold Wibbeke, Lima, Peru]

Mr. BERTHOLD WIBBEKE,

% Ritterman, Lima, Peru.

MARCH 8, 1938.

DEAR MR. WIBBEKE: Your letter of February 24, for which I thank you, has been forwarded to me here, as business matters will keep me away from New York for several weeks.

As to the question of furnishing you with American, I am sorry to say, that we have orders from abroad, to cease all activities with regard to the sale of American goods to the various foreign branches. This unquestionably embraces also coal and I am sure that we would expose ourselves to severe criticism if we engaged in competition with a firm, who is a direct subsidiary of the Vereinigte Stahlwerke. For these reasons, which I am sure you will appreciate, I am sorry, that we are unable to be of service to you.

I want to inform you, however, that the Compania Electricidad de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil (subsidiary of Electric Bond & Share, New York), is a regular buyer of our coal, which they purchase in full shiploads. We never had any complaints and it might be a good idea if you would refer your friends to this company for information about our quality.

With best wishes, I am

Sincerely yours,

Edward Barreau.

Carbon copy Steel Union-Sheet Piling, Inc.

EXHIBITS Nos 487 AND 488

[Air-mail letter from Edward Barreau, president, Steel Union-Sheet Piling, Inc., New York, N. Y., to Ernst Leuders, Port au Prince, Haití, dated October 30, 1939. Similar letters same date, to the following: Mr. Anton Reiss, San Salvador; Mr. Pablo Weiss, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Mr. Henry Hoepker, Guatemala; Prospero Baiz & Co., Curacao, D. W. I.; Goerz Cia. Commercial Nicaraguense Ltda., Managua, Nicaragua; Messrs. H. O. Dyes & Co., San Jose de Costa Rica, Costa Rica]

By air mail.

ERNST LEUDERS,

Port au Prince, Haiti.

OCTOBER 30, 1939.

DEAR SIR: Mr. Dudolf Schaur of Mexico has suggested writing you in order to explore the possibility of supplying you, respectively your clientele, with American-made steel products during the period when you are not able to obtain supplies from your previous sources in Germany.

We have already initiated substantial dealings with various other South American countries, and we do not see any reason why this should not be possible through your firm also.

It is necessary for you, however, to obtain the approval of our suggestion from the Stahlunion and the Roehren-Verband in Duesseldorf. We have no doubt that this approval will be forthcoming, but we think as a matter of form these two firms ought to be consulted by you before we commence with our negotiations.

In order not to lose time, we would suggest that you secure these approvals by cable.

We do not know whether, in view of the prevailing shortage of steel, we shall be able to supply you with all steel products because on account of heavy bookings the majority of the mills have shut down on their sales on many products until the end of the year, and there is no way of telling how long this situation will continue. There are, however, several products for which these is still a possibility to offer acceptable deliveries. We suggest that after you have communicated with the Stahlunion and the Roehren-Verband you let us have your definite inquiries and specific demands, as domestic mills are overflooded with inquiries anyhow and positively refuse to react on general inquiries. Trusting to have the pleasure of hearing from you soon, we are

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[Letter, and translation of same, from Rudolf Schaur to Edward Barreau, Steel UnionSheet Piling, Inc., New York, dated October 28, 1939]

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SEHR GEEHRTER HERR BARREAU: Ich habe noch Ihren freundlichen Brief vom 23. 10. zu bestaetigen. Ihre Ausfuehrungen wegen der Postweiterleitung habe ich bestens dankend zur Kenntnis genommen; wie ich Ihnen schon seinerzeit mitgeteilt habe, bin ich im voraus mit allen Massnahmen, welche Sie zwecks Weiterleitung ergreifen, einverstanden. Haben Sie nochmals meinen bestens Dank für Ihre freundlichen Bemühungen.

Was die von Herrn Heuer jun. überbrachte Post betrifft, so dürfte es sich dabei so verhalten haben, dass er einen grossen Umschlag mit meiner gesamten Post, welchen ich handschriftlich an Sie adressiert hatte, und zwei grosse Umschläuge mit der Técnica-Post abgegeben hat.

Was die von Ihnen der Técnica angebotene Zusammenarbeit betrifffft, so hat sich die mexicanische Stahlunion-Vertretung in der Zwischenzeit bereits telegrafisch an die Stahlunion gewendet und um das entsprechende Einverständnis gebeten. Dieses Einverständnis im Namen der Stahlunion selbst liegt vor; das für den Röhren-Verband bezw. Grossrohr-Verband steht noch aus.-Im übrigen wir Ihnen Herr Heuer sen. noch selbst ausführlich schreiben. Ich selbst hoffe auch auf eine gedeihliche Zusammenarbeit.

In diesem Zusammenhange moechte ich Sie bitten, sich eventuell unter Bezugnahme auf mich auch mit den uebrigen Stahlunion-Vertretungen, die mit wenigen Ausnahmen auch den Roehren-Verband, und den Grossroh-Verband vertreten, in meinem Arbeitsgebiet wegen einer Zusammenarbeit in Verbindung zu setzen. Diese Firmen sind:

1. Henry Hoepker, Apartado No. 350, Guatemala-Stadt, Guatemala.

2. Pablo Weiss, Apartado No. 72, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

3. Anton Reiss, Apartado No. 85, San Salvador-Stadt, San Salvador.

4. Geerz Campañía Comercial Nicaragüense Ltda., Apartado 369, Managua, Nicaragua.

5. H. O. Dyes & Co., Postbox XIX, San José de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.

6. German Kolbert & Co., Inh. Anton Zeiss, Apartado 2566, Habana, Cuba.

7. Ernst Lueders, Apartado No. 60, Port au Prince, Haïti.

8. Carl Hertel, Apartado 643, Ciudad Trujillo, Rep. Dominicana.

9. Próspero Baïz & Co., Curaçao, D. W. I.

10 und 11. Da Jamaica und Trinidad englischer Besitzungen sind, und unsere Vertretungen in deutschen Haenden lagen, sind die Geschaefte dort geschlossen.

12. Panamá wurde von meinem Arbeitsgebiet abgetrennt und Herrn Gilbert zugeschlagen. Unsere Vertretung dort ist: Erik O. Cerjack-Boyna, Apartado 1018, Panamá City, Calle 6a, No. 17.

In der Angelegenheit cotton tie bin ich weiter bemueht gewesen, den Posten abzusetzen. Bedauerlicherweise konnte ich aber zu keinem Abschluss kommen, da die Saison vorueber ist und lediglich zu den Ihnen unter dem 9. bezw. 6. Oktober ds. Js. aufgegebenen niedrigen Preisen kaufen will.

Ich wuerde mich freuen, wieder von Ihnen zu hoeren und verbleiben mit freundlichen Gruessen.

Ihr,

R. SCHAUR.

RS/EP.

By air mail.

[Translation]

DEAR MR. BARREAU: I still have to acknowledge receipt of your friendly letter of October 23. I have taken grateful cognizance of your remarks on the forwarding of mail; as I have already informed you, I agree in advance to any measures you take for transmitting it. Let me again thank you very much for your friendly efforts.

As far as the mail conveyed by Mr. Heuer, Jr., is concerned, what must have happened is that he gave a large envelope with all my mail that I had addressed to you by hand, and two large envelopes with the Tecnica mail.

As for the collaboration offered by you to Tecnica, the Mexican Stahlunion agency has already cabled to Stahlunion in the interval and asked them to agree. This consent in the name of the Stahlunion itself is at hand; that for the Roehren-Verband or Grossrohr-Verband has not come as yet. However, we shall still write you Mr. Heuer [sic], Sr., in detail. I myself also hope for a fruitful collaboration.

In this connection I would like to ask you to get in touch perhaps with the other Stahlunion agencies which, with few exceptions, also represent the RoehrenVerband and the Grossrohr-Verband in my working territory, referring them to me with a view to collaboration. These firms are:

1. Henry Hoepker, Apartado No. 350, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

2. Pablo Weiss, Apartado No. 72, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

3. Anton Reiss, Apartado No. 85, San Salvador City, San Salvador.

4. Goerz Compania Comercial Nicaraguense, Ltda., Apartado 369, Managua, Nicaragua.

5. H. O. Dyes & Co., post box XIX, San Jose de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.

6. German Kolbert & Co., Prop. Anton Zeiss, Apartado 2566, Habana, Cuba.

7. Ernst Lueders, Apartado No. 60, Port au Prince, Haiti.

8. Carl Hertel, Apartado 643, Ciudad Trujillo, Rep. Dominicana.

9. Prospero Baiz & Co., Curacao, D. W. I.

10 and 11. As Jamaica and Trinidad are English possessions, and our agencies were in German hands, the businesses there have closed down.

12. Panama was taken out of my working territory and assigned to Mr. Gilbert. Our agency there is: Erik O. Cerjack-Boyna, Apartado 1018, Panama City, Calle 6a, No. 17.

In the cotton-tie matter I have made further efforts to dispose of the lot. Unfortunately, however, I was unable to conclude any deal, as the season is over and they want to buy only at the low prices sent you on the 9th and 6th of October this year.

I would be happy to hear from you again, and remain with friendly greetings. Yours,

EXHIBIT No. 489

[Letter dated September 8, 1939, from A. Heuer, Cia. Tecnica y Merantil S. A., to Steel Union Sheet Piling, Inc., New York City]

STEEL UNION SHEET PILING, INC.,

New York City:

CIA. TECNICA MERCANTI, S. A.,
Mexico, D. F., den. 8 September 1939.

Wir kommen auf unser gestriges Schreiben zurueck und moechten Sie heute nochmals bitten, freundlicherweise die einliegenden Briefe auf den Ihnen am sichersten und schnellsten erscheinenden Wege nach Deutschland zu befoerdern. Gleichzeitig bitten wir Sie, die Ihnen hierdurch entsandenen und eventuell noch weiterhin enstehenden Portospesen zu notieren und uns zur gegebenen Zeit aufzugeben, damit wir sie Ihnen dann sofort ueberweisen koennen.

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