15

H.—25

70. T have again to express my thanks to the banks and other commercial institutions for the ready way in which they have assisted the work of the Custodian by furnishing information bearing upon claims received from or lodged against German nationals. I also to desire to place on record my appreciation of the work of the officers of the Public Trust Office who have been engaged on enemy-property work during the year. I have, &c, J. W. Macdonald, Public Trustee, as Custodian of Enemy Property, and Controller. New Zealand Clearing Office. Wellington, 2-11h August, 1922.

APPENDIX. SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL DESPATCHES RECEIVED FROM HIS MAJESTY'S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES IN REGARD TO ENEMY PROPERTY AND THE SETTLEMENT OF DEBTS THROUGH THE CLEARING OFFICE. Anglo-Austrian Mixed Arbitral Tribunal. 1. Despatch dated 9th September, 1921, enclosed, copies of the following extracts from the London Gazette No. 32437, of the 26th August, 1.921, regarding the establishment of an AngloAustrian Mixed Arbitral Tribunal under Article 256 of the Treaty of Peace with Austria :— The following announcement is made try the Board of Trade :— In pursuance of Article 266 of the Treaty of St. Germain-cn-Laye, the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal between the British Empire and Austria has been constituted, and is about to commence work in London. The President is Mr. B. C. J. Loder, LL.D., Judge of the Supremo Court of the Netherlands; the British member is Mr. Heber Hart K.C., LL.I). ; and tho Austrian member Dr. jur Paul Hamnrerschlag. An important part of the work of the Tribunal will be to decide upon claims in respect of debts under Section 111 of Part X of the Treaty, where a difference arises between British and Austrian nationals or between the British and Austrian Clearing Offices, ft has also jurisdiction under Sectiorr IV (" Property, Rights, and Interests "), Section V ("Contracts, Prescriptions, Judgments"), Section VI ("Mixed Arbitral Tribunal"), and Section VII ("Industrial Property ") of Part X of the above Treaty. By the Treaty the high contracting parties have agreed that their Courts and authorities shall render to the Tribunal direct all tho assistance in their power, particularly as regards transmitting notices and collecting evidence; and they have also agreed to regard the decisions of the Tribunal as final and conclusive, and to render them binding upon their nationals. Statutory effect has been given to the provisions of the Treaty in this country by an Order in Council of the 13th August, 1920 (Statutory Rules and Orders, 1920, No. 1613). The British Government has provided headquarters for the Tribunal at Winchester House, 21 St. James's Square, S.W. 1. Mr. Claud Mullins, barrister-at-law, is the British Secretary. Rules of Procedure of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal between the British Empire and, Austria under Article 250 of the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye. Notice is hereby given that tho Rules of Procedure of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal between tho British Empire and Austria have been published as Statutory Rules and Orders, 1921, No. 1301, and copies of the same can be purchased (price 6d. net), either directly or through any bookseller, from His Majesty's Stationery Office at the following addresses : Imperial House, Kingsway, London W.C. 2 ; 28 Abingdon Street, London S.W. 1 ; 37 Peter Street, Manchester ; 1 St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff; 23 Forth Street, Edinburgh ; or from E. Ponsonby (Limited), 116 Grafton Street, Dublin, or at the Secretariat of tho Tribunal. Anglo-Hungarian Mixed Aiibitral Tribunal. 2. Despatch dated 12th September, .1.921, enclosed copy of two extracts from the London Gazette No. 32444, of the 2nd September, 1921, containing notices regarding the constitution of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal between the British Empire and Hungary under Article 239 of the Treaty of Trianon. The following announcement is made by the Board of Trade : — In pursuance of Article 239 of the Treaty of Trianon, the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal between the British Empire and Hungary has been constituted, and is about to commence work in London. The President is Mr. B. C. J. Loder, LL.D., Judge of the Supreme Court of tho Netherlands ; the British member is Mr. Heber Hart, K.C., LL.D. ; and the Hungarian member Moris. Bela de Zolti'n, formerly Minister of Justice in Hungary. An important part of the work of the Tribunal will be to decide upon claims in respect of debts under Section 111 of Part X of the Treaty, where a difference arises between British and Hungarian nationals or between the British and Hungarian Clearing Offices. The Tribunal has also jurisdiction under Section IV ("Property, Rights, and Interests "), Section V ("Contracts, Prescriptions, Judgments"), Section VI ("Mixed Arbitral Tribunal"), and Section VII (" Industrial Property ") of Part X of the above Treaty. By the Treaty the high contracting powers have agreed that their Courts and authorities shall render to the Tribunal direct all tho assistance in their power, particularly as regards transmitting notices and collecting evidence ; and they have also agreed to regard the decisions of the Tribunal as final and conclusive, and to render them binding upon their nationals. The British Government has provided headquarters for tiro Tribunal in Winchester House, 21 St. James's Square S.W. 1. Mr. Claude Mullins, barrister-at-law, is the British Secretary.