"ENEMY GOODS" SCARE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 762, 20 July 1916, Page 8

"ENEMY GOODS" SCARE.

PECULIAR CHRISTCHURCH CASE.

The campaign against German or j enemy goods seems to have had some ! effect in Christchurch, judging by the j experience of Messrs Frank A. Cook, Limited, the well-known grocers, but j it is a little unfortunate that the pat* I riotism of several of their customer* I has been exercised at the expense of I a line of goods—those manufactured j by the firm of H. J. Heinz, of Pittsburg—which, though bearing a susIpicious sort of name, are actually | made by a genuine American firm, in i which there is no German ownership, directors, or connections. Some j little time ago Messrs Frank A. Cook, j Limited, in common with another j well-known Christchurch grocery jfirm, had a demonstration of Heinz and Co.'s goods which brought them very prominently before the public (The demonstration was arranged for in all good faith, and the management of Messrs Frank A. Cook. Limited, were astounded, to put it mildly, to find that the result was some genuine unrest on the part of several customers who got it into their heads that by buying Heinz and Co.'s goods i they were helping an enemy firm. Mr !l). Slain, the manager of Messrs ; Frank A. Cook, Ltd., with a view to ■ finding out exactly what the position I is, wrote up to the Attorncy-Gene- ! ral asking for information about the ! firm, and received a reply to the ef■fect that nothing definite was known about it here, but that no objections would be raised to New Zealand merchants trailing with it. The firm's ! representative in New Zealand sent a cablegram to his principals on the subject, and received the following reply:—"No German ownership, 'directors or connections. Hciiuc native-born American. Writing.—* JH. J. Heinz and Co." Mr Main, however, even with th£» assurance, did not feel inclined to in>» i jure any customers' susceptibilities, I and he has agreed to let the New Zealand soldiers have the ben.'(it of the doubt, if there is any. "W't have" i approached the Lady Liverpool and Red Cross Committees," he said, "and they have agreed to take a 'arge quantity of Heinz and Co.'s goods to 'send to the boys at the front. In the meantime we have cancelled a large I order and have cleared our shelves [of these goods until the matter is d<* 'finitely settled one way or another* Though the American iirm with ttflt alleged German name has caused u$ some trouble, it has. or will be, of benefit to our troops. It is an ill Aind that blows nobody good." .§