Copy.
160
Enclosure.1. in Sir C. Greene's despatch No.660 of
December 18th, 1916.
The Official Gazette of December 18th 1916 contains Ordinance No.63 of the Department of
Communications for the prohibition of enemy corres-
pondence, and the papers of the same date publish an
explanation of its terms by the Authorities of that
Department. It is stated that apart from the strict
control exercised in a certain class of cases no
particular control of a general character has in the
past been enforced against enemy persons and corres-
pondence. Latterly however frequent instances have
occurred of the abuse of Japanese organs of communi-
cation by enemy subjects. The necessity of greater
strictness of control has therefore now been recog- nised. Hence the issue of the present Departmental
Order. In the review of the provisions of the Order
which follows attention is drawn to the fact that
postal matter despatched by or addressed to. enemy persons is pronounced to be prohibited mail matter ans as a result punishment can be inflicted. As regards matter specially permitted by the Minister it is pointed out that particulars of the scope of such permission is not stated but the policy will be to permit in cases where there is no conflict with the purpose of the present control. The restriction of the Ordinance do not apply to correspondence of enemy persons within Japan.
The Ordinance as issued agrees with text
already