HC Deb 20 March 1917 vol 91 c1699
1. Colonel GRETTON

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the liability to capture and publication by the enemy of private letters sent in the sealed Foreign Office bags, he will take steps to secure that the contents of such bags dispatched in charge of Foreign Office messengers shall be submitted to the same censorship as that to which letters sent through the post are liable?

The MINISTER of BLOCKADE (Lord Robert Cecil)

The answer is in the negative.

Colonel GRETTON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Foreign Office bags are used for private letters sent by persons who are not on the staff of the Foreign Office, and will he take steps to have letters of that kind censored?

Lord R. CECIL

I am not aware of that as a general rule. There may be exceptional cases in which that happens, but certainly it does not apply as a general rule.

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