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3. It is clear from the above that the Post Office would be reluctant to put any system of censorship, however restricted, into force unless an emergency had arisen which rendered it imperatively necessary. It devolves on the Secretary of State for Home Affairs to declare that such emergency has arisen. He is not necessarily in close touch either with the Admiralty and the War Office, the Departments chiefly concerned with the precautionary measures in time of strained relations, or with the Foreign Office, on which the conduct of these relations depends.
It is therefore suggested that some definition is required of the expression "time of emergency," and that some sort of machinery should be set up in order to ensure that notice is given to Departments that an emergency has arisen, and that they must take such definite action as has been laid down for them in that period by the Committee of Imperial Defence.
4. This matter is not one that concerns postal censorship alone. The Navy and Army have a "precautionary period" which is undefined, as it is not the business of any particular member of the Government to initiate it, though the action to be taken during that period is carefully laid down. Certain precautions have to be taken by the Foreign Office in order to ensure proper treatment of merchant shipping, and, if recommendations regarding the control of the press which have recently been considered by this Sub-Committee are carried out, action would have to be taken by the Home Office in order to prevent the publication of information regarding movements of troops and ships. It is further to be noticed that the proposal with regard to the Bill for the control of the press is that it should only be put into operation “in time of prime emergency in the United Kingdom."
5. It is for the consideration of the Sub-Committee whether the terms of their reference enable them to make any suggestion regarding the “time of emergency" and the responsibility for declaring it. It is also suggested that the various forms of postal censorship suggested by the Secretary of the Post Office as of a practical nature should be considered. These may be summarised as follows:-
(a.) To maintain as far as possible a watch on inland and continental correspondence in the Post Offices at naval and military centres, and at certain offices which handle continental mails.
(b.) To hold up the mails of a particular locality or district for twenty-four hours
or such longer period as might be necessary.
(c.) To examine and if advisable to open or detain inward letters from the
Continent.
(d.) To insist on all postal packets addressed to specified countries being posted
open and written en clair in one of the better-known European languages.
Č. Ľ. O.
2, Whitehall Gardens, July 2, 1910.
t3
Appendix IV.
POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE ENEMY COUNTRY IN PAST WARS.
On the 6th February, 1793, the following Order in Council was made;-
"It is this day ordered by His Majesty in Council that all Packet Boats and Bye Boats, whether British or French, employed in the conveyance of letters or passengers between this country and France, or the countries occupied by the Armies of France, be permitted to pass and repass as heretofore."
A later Order, dated the 20th February, 1793, withdrew the licence from bye boats, and restricted the conveyance of mails and passengers to vessels employed by His Majesty's Postmaster-General
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