SMUGGLING BY LETTER POST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1572, 4 July 1916, Page 4

SMUGGLING BY LETTER POST.

IMPROPER USE OF MAILS,

It is did!cult to credit the extensive scale on which German agents havo sought to smuggle goods into Germany by means of postal correspondence, says the London correspondent, of the Wellington Post. Recently, in the Prize Court, Sir S. Evans condemned as contraband a quantity of rubber made up iuto postal packages, seized on hoard the Butch steamships Tuhantia, Gelria, and Hollandla. Sir I l '. E. Smith (Attorney-General) staled the fuels, which show that the smuggling is pari of a big conspiracy to gel goods into Germany.

The case involved to some extent Article 1 of the Eleventh Hague Convention, which reads that "the postal correspondence ot neutrals or belligerents, whatever its official or private character, found on hoard a neutral or enemy vessel on the high sens, is inviolable.” Such provision, however, was not to apple “in ease of violation of blockade to correspondence proceeding to or from a blockaded port.” The Germans, continued the AttorneyGeneral, had attempted to use this exemption of mails from capture lo (*ovcr consignments of goods on a large scale by parcel post and letter mail. It was well that those who had passed criticism upon the action of Ibis country in reference to the siznre of mails should he fully informed of the abuse that had been attempted. The ease only concerned at present consignments of rubber on the three named vessels. It was all (tacked in innocent-looking parcels, which were sent by letter mail, and not by parcel mail. To look at the parcels one might think (hey contained a few collars. They were sent by Rudolf W. IT. 1 loti man. of Para, and were addressed to G. A’ogimann and Co., Hamburg. In the course of a letter to Vogt innnn and Go., Hoffman said that the result obtained in the sale ol rubber “is very pleasing lo me.” Under the heading, “Shipments by parcel post," Hoffman wrote: “Von may generally assume that from 200 to JOO parcels will he seal by every mail, more if possible.”

A letter dated li.'trd November, It) If), .contained this passage: “Including to-day’s shipment you received from me already India rubber lo the selling value 1 of Id,(tilt) mark's.

We have been unfortunate with our lirst cable, as tins did not arrive l , as might have been foreseen, in view of the route used. Would it not perhaps be possible for you to send me a wireless telegram lo New York via Nanen on arrival of ibe shipment, as follows, “Tell Holt man, William arrived?’ and 1 would know that a lot of rubber lias arrived. W e would then give a name to each postal shipment and would always know what has arrived over there. We shall now give immediately to the shipment of to-day of TM parcels the name of William. I. think that- in this manner we shall always be posted up as to the position. I may inform you. quite confidentially, that the matter here commences to become somewhat fishy.”

Tho President gnve il. ns his opinion (lint Uio ndenipt to make use ol' Article 1 of (he Kleventh Hague Convention was dishonest ill I lie exlivme. It was liis duly lo condemn tho properly ns eonlrnlnind.