HC Deb 21 June 1917 vol 94 c1962
73. Sir EDWARD PARROTT

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that the United States of America is now our Ally, he will remove the restrictions on the posting of newspapers, books, and magazines to that country; and will he arrange that, in respect to such posted printed matter as is indicated above, he will place the United States in the same category as other Allied countries?

Mr. MACPHERSON

My hon. Friend is presumably referring to the restrictions imposed by the Defence of the Realm Regulation 24 (b). That Regulation ceased to apply to the despatch of newspapers, etc., to the United States of America when the United States ceased to be neutral. Printed matter addressed to the United States is now subject only to the censorship to which all postal packets for the North American continent are liable. It is not possible to exempt from the scrutiny of the censors one particular class of postal matter.