Evening star., 1915-04-03
Notice of Strict Censorship
Placed in the Hands of
Secretary Bryan.
STOPS TRADE MESSAGES
SENT TO BELLlGERENTS
England Asserts Right to Prevent
Delivery of Business Communi-
cations in Enemy's Country.

Secretary Bryan had before him to-
day Great Britaiu's formal announce
ment of her new cable censorship pol
icy. 4 memora ndum on tho subject
had been transmitted TO tho state de-
partment through Ambassador Page At
London.
In il Great Britain serves notice -
its intention TO stop all mcssa ees sent
over cables ander British control re
lating to trade in contra hand or nor
contraband goods ITO which r residen.
in an enemy country is orc of the par
ties" In this connection 10" rommu-
nication points out that it is clear that
in view of the great Importance Of re
strictinC the enemies supplies aud
Withholding facilities from them for
carrying on their trade. his najcsty's :
government cannot br expected to af-
ford the use of British cables to enable
neutral and enemy countries to make
arrangements with each other for tho
conduct of that trade
Scope of the Censorship.
Officials here construe the action TO
mean that in accordance with the al
lies blockade program Great Britain
will not permit the sending OF mes
sages from the United States to Italy
or any other neutral country If the
refer in any way to a transaction in
which a resident of Germany, Austria
or Turkey is interested.
A memorandum given to Mr Page
and Cabled by him to the state Depart
ment last evening contained the first
formal announcement of Great Britains
cable censorship policy since the early
n nf hn hon sF.i not inv -
were reminded of the right of the
British government to stop all com
munica tion over the cables il con-
trolled. At that time il was announced
that in order to minimize the incon
veuience to the public. MESA ges in
plain English or French would be ac-
cepted for transmission, subject to CEN
sorship.
All cable communication between Amer
ica and Europe has had to pass through
Great Britain since the cutting of the
German cable at the beginning of the war.
1t is said that few messages known TO
relate to business transactions in Ger
many Austria have been passed at any
tine. hut there has been much doubt as
to just what policy was being followed.
and the State Department has received
many inquiries on the subject.
England's Memorandum.
The memorandum. after quoting the
original notice or Great ErltainS rights
over her cables given through the inter
national bureau at Berne. said.
The necessity for control of cables
in it's relation to matters which may
he described generally being OF
purely naval or military nature Is
obvious and needs no demonstration
In addition to this it is clear that In
view of the great importance of re
Stricting the enemies supplies and
Withholding facilities from them TO"
carrying on their rade. his majestys
government cannot he expected to af-
ford the use of British cables to en-
able neutral and enemy countries to
make arrangements with each othe"
for the conduct of that trade and the
principles upon which the censorship
of commercial kilograms is conducted
is to withhold, so far as British cables
are concerned, all facilities for carry
ing on trade directly or indirectly
with enemy country.
Accordingly, all cables are liable
to be stopped which show clear evil
dence either by the text of the tele-
gram or by the known facts as to
the sender or addressee that they re
fer TO q transaction, whether in con
traband or non -contrab band, to which q
resident in an enemy country is ons
of the parties.
This principle. il Will be observed,
is applied impa rtially to British. allied
or neutral subjects who endeavor to
trade with the enemy through the
medium of British cables.