§ 42. Mr. CLOUGHasked the Secretary of State for War if he can now make any announcement as to the raising of the prohibition by his Department on the use of private codes for cabling purposes?
§ 46. Lord ROBERT CECILasked the Prime Minister whether the Council of Five have decided that the censorship should be abolished; and what steps the Government propose to take to carry out this decision?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe Government have decided that the censorship should be abolished, and this will take effect from midnight, 23rd–24th July.
§ Mr. FORSTERYes.
§ Mr. G. TERRELLWhy is this difference made? If it is no longer necessary, why should it not be discontinued at once?
§ Mr. FORSTERObviously, it is necessary to make arrangements.
96. Mr. G. MURRAYasked the Poet-master-General whether he is aware of the delay to cable messages, especially to and from the East, which is causing losses to firms engaged in foreign trade and making business in many cases practically impossible; whether, in these circumstances, he will cause immediate steps to be taken to permit the use of private and all public codes; whether he will arrange for the discontinuance of the present system under which the cable companies charge treble rates for cables sent through on one day; and whether he will arrange that all cables not charged at deferred rates should be considered as urgent?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Pike Pease)As regards the delay to cable messages, I would refer 373 the hon. Member to the answer on the subject which I gave to the hon. Members for West Salford and Chester on the 7th instant.
His Majesty's Government have decided that the censorship of telegrams shall be discontinued as from midnight on the 23rd instant, and I understand that private and public codes will then be permitted.
Urgent telegrams at triple rates are not accepted in this country, except in the case of those for Russia. They are, however, admitted in other European countries, but, in view of the present congestion upon the cables of the Eastern Telegraph Company, arrangements were recently made to suspend the urgent service in the case of outward telegrams forwarded by that route in order to secure that such telegrams to the Far East should not obtain preference in transmission over telegrams from this country.
Mr. MURRAYWill he make an inquiry also as to whether the delay is not attributable to some extent to the mutilation of messages in transit?
§ Lord R. CECILDoes the abolition of the censorship include the postal censorship?
§ Mr. PIKE PEASEThis arrangement was only come to by the Cabinet this morning, and therefore I have no knowledge of anything further than the answer I have just given.