After the outbreak of the First World War, it became increasingly difficult to run Welte’s business in the USA. In 1917, after the USA entered the war, Welte’s US business was seized and sold to the Auto Pneumatic Action Company of New York. This gave rise to a separate Welte Licensee system – structurally a drawer system based on the 88-note standard scale, similar to the Ampico, and technically very similar to the Welte system. The Welte T100 (red) recordings could be re-encoded – as later for the Welte T98 (green) – and are therefore also available on Welte Licensee.