be able to receive lands on easier and more reasonable terms from the Government. If this were done, and aliens allowed to take lands, I think that they would avail themselves of it rather than go to more remote and isolated Borneo, where the land is not any more volcanic than Malacca, and very likely not any better, from all I can gather, and where the cost of planting is considerably higher than in provinces hereabouts, which can draw on Singapore or Penang for labour and supplies at a smaller outlay of ready money. Excellent alluvial lands in large tracts are to be met with above overflow on the banks of rivers, and fine rich loam lands on and between the gentle slopes of hills in Johore, Muar, Panang, the" Nine States," Sungi-Ujong, Salengore, Perak, and Province Wellesley, just as good as high average American tobacco lands. Muar, Salengore, and Perak have long been especially noted for fine tobacco grown by natives. Natives of British India and China, being subject to absolute rule politically, are free to take land anywhere in British Malaysia, so long as they are able to fulfil the conditions upon which they acquired them from the Goverment. It is true that the British resident of Perak, who has accomplished much real good there, encouraged both Malays and Chinese to plant not only rice, but also maize, tobacco, coffee, pepper, &c.; aud I heard about a year ago that in Perak and Province Wellesley some Chinese started small tobacco plantations on the Deli plain, and later on, that a firm of English coffee planters in Salengore had commenced a tobacco plantation, but with what success I have not yet learned.

ANNEX 10.

His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, Rotterdam, to the Foreign Office.

Sir,

British Consulate-General, Rotterdam,
February 1, 1914.

REFERRING to Mr. Hurst's request regarding Major Studer's claim against His Majesty's Government, I have the honour to report that I have had a long interview with Mr. Van Nelle regarding the case. He promised to try his best to get hold of any old papers bearing on the matter, but, as will be seen by the enclosed letter, without result.

He told me privately that, after the late Mr. Van de Leeuw left the firm on March 29th, 1878, he started a business of his own, and went bankrupt on January 4th, 1889. The case was reopened in August, 1893, and the official receivers were Messrs. Henry and Philips.

Mr. Van Nelle does not believe any papers bearing on the claim are in existence, as papers of a bankrupt firm are only kept for a certain number of years and then destroyed.

The Right Honourable

I have, &c.

ERNEST B. MAXSE.

Dear Sir,

Rotterdam, January 14th, 1914.

In reply to your favour of the 12th instant, we beg to inform you that Mr. W. van der Leeuw had already retired from our firm when the correspondence alluded to took place, which is evidenced by the letter W. v. d. Leeuw-Studer, dated 9th April, 1878.

Consequently we cannot

answer to your different questions. We are sorry we cannot be of service to you in this matter, as we are not at all acquainted with the

course of the affairs of the firm W. van der Leeuw and Company.

Believe us, &c.

DE ERVEN DE WED.

J. VAN NELLE.

E. B. Maxse, Esq., &c., &c., &c.,

Rotterdam.

P.S.-We return with thanks the Appendix to the

Memorial of U.S.

ANNEX 11.

No. 1.

Colonial Office to Nordanal (Johore) Rubber Estates

Gentlemen,

Limited.

3rd February, 1914. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to state that the claims to be heard before the Pecuniary Claims Tribunal during the forthcoming session at Washington include one by the heirs of the late Major Studer, formerly United States Consul at Singapore, in respect of deprivation of rights under a concession in Muar granted by the late Sultan Ali to that gentleman in the year 1877.

2. A copy of the Memorial presented by the United States Govt. in support of the claim is enclosed. You will observe from pages 39-41 and 617-619 that the land now occupied by your company is situated within the limits of the Concession and that of the amount claimed as damages, viz., £245,850, £240,000 represents the sum for which your Company is stated to have acquired the interests of the Singapore and Johore Rubber Co. Ltd.

3. Mr. Harcourt would be very grateful for any information bearing on the claim which you may be in a position to furnish.

I am, &c.

HENRY LAMBERT.

No. 2.

The Nordanal (Johore) Rubber Estates, Limited to the

3800/1914.

Sir,

Colonial Office.

3, Lloyds Avenue, London, E.C., 6th February, 1914.

WE have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, with reference to the claim of the late Major Studer, in respect of deprivation of rights under a concession in Muar granted by the late Sultan Ali in the year 1877, which claim is to be heard before the Pecuniary Claims Tribunal during the forthcoming session at Washington.

We have further to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Memorial presented by the United States Government

in support of their claim, and we gather from a perusal of the same that the land now occupied by this Company is situated within the limits of the Concession, and that the amount claimed as damages, viz., £245,850 is based on the purchase price of the Nordanal Estate paid by this Company to the Singapore & Johore Rubber Co., Ltd.

For your purposes, we think it will be best if we recapitulate events from the time that Mr. Francis Pears obtained a grant of the land from the Johore Government, up to the time that this company came into possession.

About the year 1899, Mr. Francis Pears applied to the Johore Government for a permit for land to be selected to the extent of 3,000 acres on the Muar River, for the purpose of developing that land as a Rubber Plantation, and this was granted on the 26th March 1900. A copy of this Permit, translated from the Malay, is enclosed. Of this 3,000 acres, he selected 1,500 acres on the left bank, which formed the nucleus of the present Lanadron Rubber Estates, Limited, and which he at once proceeded to open up. The other 1,500 acres, with which it would appear this claim is directly connected, he selected on the right bank of the river, more or less opposite the Lanadron Company's property. No planting No planting on this portion of the property was undertaken till the year 1904, in the autumn previous to which year a small syndicate, under the style of the Singapore & Johore Rubber Co., Ltd., was formed in Singapore, and operations commenced. The following acreages were then planted at the respective dates given :—

About the year 1908, the original capital was exhausted, and it was only owing to the principal shareholders coming forward and putting up a considerable sum as further working capital, that it was possible to continue operations, and eventually bring them to a successful termination.

During the autumn of 1911, negotiations were commenced with a view to floating the property on the London Market, and this was eventually done, the property being acquired as a going concern by the Nordanal (Johore)