Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher [Chairman, Royal Commission on Oil Fuel] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] with congratulations on his speech [in the House of Commons] on the Navy Estimates; Fisher also encourages WSC to continue putting obsolete guns in merchant ships and comments on the bid by the Standard Oil Company for China oil. [Carbon copy; see CHAR 13/21/51-55 for original].

Admiralty memorandum comparing the general course of wages with the wages of merchant seamen for the years 1887-1912.

Letter from Archibald Williams, Chairman of the Committee on Taxi-Cab Fares (Royal Commission House, Westminster [London]) to WSC concerning the taxation of taxis under the Light Locomotives Act. Signed typescript.

Letter from Sir Edward Henry [Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police] (New Scotland Yard) to Edward Marsh concerning the position of taxi ranks in Westminster [London]. Signed typescript.

Letter from Sydney Buxton [President of the Board of Trade] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the need for an Ice Observation Vessel in the North Atlantic, to establish how far it was possible to give timely warnings about the movement of ice, such as caused the Titanic disaster.

Letter from [WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith, later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] sending a memorandum [not present] on British trade protection in time of war. [Carbon].

Minute from [WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven] on trade protection, particularly the policy of arming merchant steamers. [Carbon].

Letter from Sir John Brunner, President of the National Liberal Federation (Silverlands, Chertsey [Surrey]) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] with congratulations on his appeal to Germany to "help England in the endeavour to bring about a reduction in the colossal amount spent by the civilised world in preparations for war"; Brunner states that it will be necessary to give up Britain's claim to capture and destroy private property at sea in time of war for such an appeal to work.

Letter from Admiral Sir Alfred Winsloe, [Admiral Commanding China Station] (HMS Minotaur, Hong Kong) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] with an account of his visit to the French colony at Saigon [later Vietnam], arrangements for joint British and French action against Germany in Far Eastern waters in case of war, pay levels and the problems of transferring officers from merchant shipping to the Navy.

Minute by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] (Oban [Argyllshire, Scotland]) on the substitution of internal combustion engines for steam engines in oil tankers. [Carbon].

Telegram from Admiralty to Various Intelligence Officers, reporting that experience of the first two months of war showed that no increase in loss of merchant shipping was incurred by keeping trade routes open, and stressing the importance of keeping trade going. Initialled by Edward Heaton-Ellis [Assistant Director of Intelligence Division], Richard Webb [Director of Trade Division] and Vice- Admiral Sir [Frederick] Doveton Sturdee [Chief of Staff]. [Carbon].

Notes concerning the widespread industrial unrest including observations on the following subjects: the threat posed by trade unionism; the concepts of sympathetic strikes and the general strike; and the lack of control in the event of a railway strike. Suggestions are made for a meeting between the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith] and large industrial employers or the establishment of a committee. Manuscript on the notepaper of the Board of Trade.

Letter from Colonel Sir Douglas Dawson (Medmenham Abbey, Marlow [Buckinghamshire]) to WSC describing the "peaceful picketing" taking place at Paddington Station which he says is preventing goods from being taken out of the station. Signed manuscript.

Draft telegram from [WSC] describing the deterioration of the dock strike and rioting in Liverpool. He discusses the strike among tram workers which has not taken place and the possibility that the general manager of one of the railway companies has negotiated with the leader of the strike committee. Includes covering sheet giving the date and time of the dispatch of the telegram. Manuscript.

Copy of a report on the railway strike. Subjects covered include: the suspension of goods trains which threatens the food supply to South Wales and the area between Newcastle, Liverpool, Nottingham and Hull and the lack of accurate information from the railway companies concerning efforts to resume services and the extent of the strike. Typescript with manuscript alterations and a note on the dorse concerning the return of troops and the enlistment of special constables.

Typescript notes explaining reasons for the Government's actions to secure supplies of food and fuel [during the railway and dock strikes] which are described as motivated by the responsibility of the Government to the public, and the working classes in particular, not by support to either side in the dispute. Annotated by WSC. See CHAR 12/12/49-50.

Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], to the Director of the Air Division, Admiralty, [Captain Murray Sueter] asking for a dual Maurice Farman aircraft to be sent to Eastchurch [Kent], on the following Tuesday, and that two skilful flyers should "get thoroughly acquainted with her", stating that he hoped to use the aircraft himself on the Thursday. [Carbon].

Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on the protection of maritime trade. [Incomplete carbon copy].

Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven], the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty [Sir Francis Hopwood, later 1st Lord Southborough], the Secretary to the Admiralty [Sir (William) Graham Greene] and Admiral Henry Campbell, on the reservations of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Gerald Noel on the legal aspects of armed merchantmen. [Carbon].

Statement of the promoters of the London Passenger Transport Board Bill in support of the Second Reading in the House of Commons [printed].

Circular letter from Douglas Hacking MP, Chairman, Conservative and Unionist Central Office, enclosing memorandum on budget proposals relating to the Road Fund.

Reprint of an article in the Hong Kong Daily Express on Sir John Jordan's speech on the need to expand the railway network in China and Sir Robert Ho Tung's suggestion that the Boxer indemnity be spent on railway building and other improvements.

Reprint of an article from the North China Daily News (Shanghai) on Sir Robert Ho Tung's suggestion that the balance of the British portion of the Boxer Indemnity applied to the completion of the Canton-Hankow railway.

Letter from W H Himbury, general manager of the British Cotton Growing Association (333-350, The Royal Exchange, Manchester) to WSC expressing delight that WSC could become Colonial Secretary because as Under-Secretary he had done much to promote cotton growing and other industries, for instance by being responsible for the construction of the Northern Nigerian Railway [Africa].