TRADE WITH GERMANY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15567, 17 April 1916, Page 10

TRADE WITH GERMANY.

ENGLISH GLOVE MERCHANTS

SENTENCED. THE JUDGE'S CENSURE. * (fhoji orri own- corkkstoxdent.) 7 LONDON, February I~>. The throe Rigdens, lather and son ■/Mitnors in the well-known firm b'viwno.s Brothers and Co., glove man 'at:turer.s, pleaded guilty at the O Bailey on the charge of trading wii the enemy, and }lr Justice Low ir posed the following sentences: —Wi iam Gardiner Rigden, aged 71 year tho father, a line of £1500. Willia Kownes Rigden, twelve months' in .jrisoniucnt in the second divisi-oi Stanley Fownes Rigdcn, four month imprisonment in the second divisioi The prosecution alleged that since tl: Diitljreak of war, good s to the vain -CUOO'J had been sent from German to the New York branch of the lirn rind although the goods were used i America, the invoices wore sent t London. When the case was resume yesterday, tho defendants withdre' their plea of not guilty, and, acting o the advice of their counsel, pleadc guilty. .Mr Travel's Humphreys alluded t the fata' letter written by Williai Fownes Rigden, containing a suggei tion that the goods should be consign ed to "Murphy" in New York. Conn sel described it as a disgraceful Icttc for a business man to write. PLEA FOR DEFENDANTS. Mr Hcwart briefly addressed th Judge on behalf of the three defend ants. With regard to the senior dc fendant, he pointed out that for som time before the outbreak of war his re lation to the business had been of : casual nature, the business being car r.'od on really under the direction of th ether partners. In September, 1914, lv went for his holiday, and he was no consulted about the letter which ha( been referred to, nor did he becovw aware of it until the hearing at tin Police Court. ' With regard to Stanley Fownes Big den, he was married a few days before the letter was written, and went awa; for his honeymoon. With regard to the other defendantWilliam Fownes Rigden, it was righi to consider the circumstances in whicf the matter was presented to liim. Th< suggestions made in the letter were nol suggestions for action, but for discussion, and the suggestion about Murphj was capable of more interpretations than one, and counsel hoped that the J ndge would not set the worst interpretation upon it. The business, deplorable and inexcusable as it was, was carried out in a perfectly normal way. Nc part of the goods came to London, it was only the question of continuing the New York branch. THE SENTENCES. Mr Justice Low held that the indictment was for a most serious and grave offence. "At all times," he continued, "when civilised "warfare has been waged it has been thought necessary to prevent trading with the enemy, but at the present day, when the ramiiications of trade are so great and the importance of commerce far exceeds anything in the past, it is almost the essence of warfare when it >s waged between great commercial States that no opportunity should be lost of crippling the commerce of the enemy, and with that view in the present emergency, proclamations have been issued and legislation has been passed, to prevent commercial dealings with those wit]) whom the country i.-, at war. You are the principals in a great firm—a firm which is one of those firms which, in the exigencies of modern trade, have thought it right to have factories in various countries —of course, for reasons which are obvious. And it is just that type of firm—and 1 say it not only with reference to this case, but as a warning to others —it is just that type of firm which renders the enforcement of the law in these matters so difficult and the evasion so comparatively easy." The Judge said that he had been asked to give different consideration to the case because of the position of the firm, but lie said: "You have traded "with tho enemy. Trading with the enemy at the present time is merely a species of treachery, and I have to deal with it accordingly." William Gardiner Rigden was then ordered to pay a fine of £000, and the Judce continued"With regard to the other two defendants, it would be, it seems to me, an idle administration of this legislation, if, where offences of this sort arc found out. and are brought to retribution, the Court could pass over them with a mere pecuniary penalty, at all tuiless the circumstances of the [

case have been most exceptional; but I can see no circumstances in. this case which justify nie in taking that course. "With regard to you, William Fownes Rigden, there is no question that your position is extremely aggravated by reason of the letter von wrote, and of •® which so much has been said. Heading that letter in the light of commonsense, it is impossible to say that you entered upon this transaction with any other view than the view, if possible, of getting the goods from Germany, and if possible of paying for them. There is 110 other view that one can lake of the suggestions mado in that letter. It is true that the persons in New York, who, I am told, are relatives of yours, were guided by- a higher s > sense of propriety and probity than you of were, and to use their own expression, (l , they declined to be parties to what Id they called 'beating the devil around . the bush,' showing clearly, at all ' 1 events, what they thought of these sugl,_ gestions; and what they thought of 1- them seems to bo practically the same s, as what I think. The sentence I feel in bound to pass upon a man of your !_ position, detected and convicted on his j own confession, of such an offenc© as this, is that you be imprisoned in tho s second division for twelve months. '• With regard to yon, Stanley Fownes e Rigden, I should have been glad if I o could Lave taken another convsc, but 1 y cannot depart from the rnlo that I [ stated a littlo while ago must now bo ' mado in these cases, namely, ivc must 0 show to all and sundry engaged in busiliess that these offences if committed lV - cannot be redeemed by a pecuniary i>ona alty, and must carry with them a cerj tain amount of disgrace. In your case, tho facts do not appear to mo to de--0 mand so severe a punishment as tho n other defendant, but you must be imprisoned in the sccond division for four _ months.-" Tho defendants were ordered to pay r the costs of the prosecution.