CO129-437 - Public Offices - 1916 — Page 403

by the Home Censorship Authorities in censorship matters so far as that action is applicable to conditions at Hong Kong.

The United States Ambassador is being informed, in reply to his note of May 1st

a copy of which was forwarded to you in my letter No. 84454 of May 6th that the return to the senders of the letters respecting which complaint was made was due to a misinterpretation of instructions by the Censors at Hong Kong which is regretted.

I am,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

Wanden

2215/N.C.)

32 (M.1.9.)

Gor 48378

ፈ፡

Jee, 21312

33210

REC

REG 14 JUL 16

401

The Director of Special Intelligence presents his compliments to the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and with reference to Lord Hardinge's letter (120144/N.C.) of the 27th June begs to state that postal packets addressed by persons in neutral cr enemy countries to enemy subjects in neutral countries are at present being forwarded by the Censers in this country unless, upon examination, it appears desirable to stop them. They are in no case returned to the sender, nor to the office of crigin.

As regards the action of the Postal Censorship at Hong Kong Brigadier-General Cockerill begs to remind Lord Hardinge that the Governor of Hong Kong enquired of the Colonial Office in a telegram dated the 20th October 1915, whether all letters "for enemy subjects" should

be returned to the offices of origin "even though" the senders were enemy subjects in China, etc. The question was referred to the Foreign Office and it is understood that a reply in which the Director of Military Operations concurred, was sent to the Colonial Office (under No 158682/15) that Sir E.Grey saw no objection to the return to the "office of origin in China" of letters emanating frem cr addressed to enemy subjects, provided that the Hong Keng authorities were satisfied that there was no reason for detaining them. This Department does not appear to have been furnished with a copy of the reply actually sent to the Governor but it probably conveyed to him what he understood to be authority to return to the office of origin all letters addressed to enemy subjects which might be found among

the