Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-13
MAILS rAMPEREp WITH.
Germans Charge British censorsh
0e>AaiIe Ia Aou ard

Germans Charge British Censorship
Prevails in Holland.
Correspondent of Associated Press.l
The Hague, Dec. 2S.-The Nieuwe
Courant of this city has been given a
rather surprising and wholly unex-
pected reply to a challenge made about
two weeks ago to the F'rankfurter
Zeitung to produce proof Of it's asser-
ton that Dutch mails were being in
spected by English agents.
1t was thought at the time that the
| Frankfurter Zeitung would not be able
to produce anything resembling proof
of this serious charge, but in the il
Illustrated section Of its edition of Dec.
IS, which has just arrived here, the
German paper shows what it asserts is
the reproduction of letter. which,
carrying the following address: Frau
Helene Calsman, Zeppelin Warke,
F'riedrichshafen Bodensee,' had been
opened by the British censo-s. and had
after that found its way to the ad-
dressee. That the latter was mailed in
! Holland is shown by the cancellation
stamp. In addition the oack of the en-
velope carries in English legend: I'm
/ deliverable-L. P. s." dieter post SER
vice. and across the edge cut open by
the censor, the customary strip of pa
per with the inscription: opened by
! Censor" had been pasted.
Commenting upon the matter the
| Nieuwe Courant says:
I'VE understand perfectly why this
remarkable accident should have
aroused the suspicious OF the German
newspapers, all the more when we con-
slider that the words Zeppelin works
occur in the address. The German
version Of the affair-as we gather
from a communication We have re-
ceived-is that thru the agency of
bribed Dutch postal officials 'sus-
picious'let reach English hands. But
| in that case it is impossible to under
stand how the letter, after month
reached the addressee al Friedrich
shafen. 1t is not likely thar the Eng
! lish would be foolish enough to again
forward a letter so treated no matter
/ how harmless it's contents.
| But our correspondent meets this
argument by saying that finally the
| letter had reached its destination thru
| mistake.
1T is more probable that the letter
] was sent to England by mistake-that
tit got in the wrong mail Lag. But it
| is unfortunate that just this one had
to bear the address: Zeppelin Works.
THAT similar case occurred in the
| Danish mail proves in itself nothing. A
f, Vienna professor wrote to the Frank
furter Zeitung that a letter he received
on Oct. % and which had been mailed
in Copenhagen on Sept. had been
given the same treatment. This letter
too, may have gotten into the hands OF
the English by being put in the wrong
mail bag.
I'VE agree with the Frankfurtel
Zeitung that an explana ton of the oc.
curance is urgently desired with this
in view we have informed the director
general of the postal service and have
/ requested him to investigate the mat
ter thoroughly"
A newspaper correspondent here also
reports the experience of having re.
ceived from his wife in New York {
letter which had been opened by Eng
iish censors. altho addressed to TIL.
Hague. Inquiry at the local postoffic,
brought the reply that only registered
mail was comparatively safe now
adays.