From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Clarifying the lack of legal obligation for steel supplies from Firth's Steels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\1\ scan0273 | |
| Date | 21th September 1938 | |
| 1312 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Rg.{Mr Rowledge} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Cgh.{W Clough} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Dn. Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} Roy{Sir Henry Royce}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}13/KW.21.9.38. FIRTH'S STEELS. In order to get a clear understanding as regards what obligations we were under to Messrs. Firth for steel supplies, I arranged for Wn. to go into the whole matter and to get the position clear. It is definite that the agreement which was entered into between Rolls-Royce and Firth's in 1920 is dead and gone. The following is a paragraph from our letter to Firth's - "It is therefore only from the viewpoint of clearing the position that I have thought it advisable to emphasize that we are under no legal obligation to continue placing orders in accordance with the provisions of a long expired contract, and that orders placed since 1932, and which may be placed in the future, have been and must be determined by those old commercial attributes of quality, service rendered, and price." I do not want this to be taken that we now change from Firth's steel. The object of this note is to make it clear that we are under no legal obligation to place our orders with them. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||