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leaving this country or arriving in it, and to impound all documents found upon them.

Stringent measures seem to be necessary if any good effect is to be obtained, and in a life and death struggle with a great maritime lower the additional inconvenience caused by their imposition would be comparatively negligible. The General Staff is fully aware of the enormous difficulties of the problem, but they hope that it may be found possible for the sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence to suggest some solution.

General Staff, War Office,

April 25, 1910.

Appendix II.

OBSERVATIONS BY THE SECRETARY OF THE POST OFFICE ON THE MEMORANDUM BY THE GENERAL STAFF.

1. IN consequence of the large amount of inland and foreign correspondence dealt with in the United Kingdom, it would be impossible, in the event of war with a great maritime Power, to establish a censorship which would ensure the systematic examination of all letters passing through the post. It would only be practicable to undertake a comparatively restricted examination, and the methods to be adopted would depend upon the time at which the censorship is established, that is to say, whether during a period of strained relations or after the outbreak of hostilities.

2. It is recognised that censorship would be of most value during the former period, when a large number of communications would no doubt be transmitted through the post from or to the enemy's agents in this country. The probability is, however, that the volume of ordinary correspondence during such a period would be abnormally high, in consequence of the public excitement, and there would be much difficulty in conducting even a restricted censorship in view of the secrecy which would necessarily form one of its most essential features.

The only steps of a general character which could with safety be taken in such circumstances would be to maintain, as far as possible, a watch on inland and continental correspondence in the post offices at naval and military centres and at the whole of the offices at which mails are made up for, or received from, the Continent (see accompanying list) for any letters which appeared from handwriting, address, or from other circumstances to be of a suspicious character. The duties could be entrusted to selected members of the Post Office sorting staff, who, from their experience and local knowledge, would be most likely to detect correspondence of a suspicious nature. These would be instructed specially to watch the continental mails, and to call attention to any letters, whether foreign or inland, coming under their notice which appeared to justify examination, leaving to their supervising officers the responsibility of detaining and opening them. A general scrutiny of this nature would, of course, be much facilitated if the sorters selected for the duty could be furnished with specimens of the handwriting of all persons suspected of acting as secret agents for foreign Governments. It is possible, as pointed out in the Memorandum, that an agent might during a period of strained relations send his communications in envelopes having type-written addresses, or adopt other devices to secure the safety of his correspondence; but if every possible step were taken by the Post Office to avoid arousing suspicion, it is probable that the letters would continue to be addressed in the ordinary way, and that they could be identified by the hand- writing.

3. A secret censorship of the nature indicated could only be made thoroughly effective in the case of letters bearing specific addresses, a list of which had previously been supplied to the Post Office. It is desirable, therefore, that every means should be taken by the War Office to prepare lists of the names and addresses of all persons likely to be concerned in the transmission of military or naval intelligence to foreign Governments. The preparation of such lists might possibly be facilitated by the

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