CO129-429 - Public Offices & Others - 1915 — Page 346

Section 6(2) y Pat Office

OW 1900 to as

Amake

offence against it punishethe

twelor

at best months impriomment.

with at best

This will calle tug. Offenders

Aat the mad in future cares.

CIRCULAR.

CONFIDENTIAL.

5

Wo

988/1915 Hongkong

Replies

Jamaica 36532/15-+59649/15 "B. Hond. 44378/15

52042/15 2513-15/1l

Vinust 45810/15

Gebratter 34574/15 Bamaia 40057/15

B Jenna 40053/15 Bahamas 46601/15 F'dad

49057/15 14711

1160/15--16

5030/15-16

Caprice 55349/15

Gambia 45537/15-

rigoria 39736/15

Cap. 413815

Somised to 41738715

Sir,

Lap &

the

sifsbbbe young

57/700n p

Downing Street,

June, 1915.

With reference to Mr. Harcourt's confidential Circular Note of the

22nd of December last, and previous correspondence, on the subject of the postul censorship, I have the honour to invite your attention to the fact that attempts

are likely to be made to defeat the arrangements for censoring postal corre- spondence emanating from various parts of the Empire by smuggling letters either on the persons or in the luggage of travellers proceeding to neutral destinations. From such destinations the letters in question could, of course, be forwarded through the ordinary postal channels without being subject to any censorship on the part of the British postal authorities.

2. Attempts of this nature are specially likely to be made by persons who are in the habit of travelling frequently between places situated in the Empire and neutral territory and a supposed instance of the evasion of the censorship by these means has recently been brought to my notice.

3. I would suggest that if the smuggling of correspondence by methods such as I have indicated does not at present constitute an offence punishable with imprisonment it would be desirable that legislation should be enacted as soon as possible to make it so punishable. The maximum term of imprisonment for such an offence should not, in my opinion, be less than twelve months, in order to bring the offence within the scope of the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

The Officer Administering

the Government of

A. BONAR LAW.

344