CO129-431 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [1-2] — Page 601

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a few additions.

The communication of a fuller list, including the additions to the black lists notified by the Aisters and Consuls, was considered, but it was felt to be too langerous, especially as licences have to be given to neutral shipowners, It would appear, too, that some of the black lists were regarded by their con- pilers as lists of suspicious firms rather than as lists definitely compiled for the purposes of the Secretary of

43975/15 Cent state's telegram of the 27th September, 1915. The lists

which will be communicated will therefore consist of firms which are either patiently and undisguisedly enemy firms or are eneay firms masquerading under neutral names, and neutral firas which merely assist the enemy will not be included. It is, however, made clear in the licence that! no undertaking is to be implied that any cargo imported unt und

under the licence is not liable to seizure, so that there will be no obstacle to carrying out the Black List system fully.

The advantages of communicating a black list at all are (a) that it will tend to prevent the Colony being enouapered and embarrassed with black list cargo, and (b) • that if any cargo is imported in contravention of the li- cence it will be possible to confiscate it under the Or-

dinance, even though there may not be sufficient evidence

for the Prize Court. This power of forfeiture will, GOW-

ever, be used with great care. Rule 4 provides that the

lioene shall not avail to protect any person not referred

to therein, and, except in the special case mentioned e-

low, it is intended that the import licence shall cover

only the shipownere, with the possible addition of the

warehouse keepers. Condition (6) of the general form

of import licence also provides that no article imported

under the licence is to be delivered except on production

of an import permit.