THE BLACK LIST.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1919, Page 5

THE BLACK LIST.

ALL THE NOTICES BJSVOKED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 5. The ,r ßlaek List," which during the war contained the names of many hundreds uf enemy companies, firms, and persons, has ceased to exist. An order by the Attorney-General revolting all notices in connection with this list was issued in a Gazette Extraordinary today. The Black List was an outcome of the efforts of the Imperial Government to stifle German trade with neutral conn-1 tries, and German trade with British and Allied countries through neutral countries. It represented the results of the efforts of intelligence officers and commercial agents in many parts of the world and of reports submitted to the British Board of Trade by British firms and Dominion Governments. The list contained the names of companies, linns, and persons of enemy connection, doing business of the United States, South America, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Norway, and other countries. The effect of the Black List was far more drastic and sweeping than many people realised. Take, f"or example, the case of a Spanish firm, which was found to he under German control, using German capitai and earning dividends for German capitalists. The name of this Arm went on the list. Immediately it became an offence for any British citizen to have dealings of any kind with that firm. The firm was boycotted by the British Empire. But the operation of the list did not stop there. The firm found that it could not use British ships and that it could not easily get space aboard neutral ships, since the neutral shipping companies had no wish to bo blacklisted themselves. It became an object of suspicion to other firms in its own country. Its financial arrangements, were affected, since its exchange could? not go through London, In various other ways the firm felt the weight of British financial and commercial authority. In IMG, it will be remembered, the Government of the United States protested very warmly against the blacklisting of businesses conducted in the' United States by naturalised and native-born American's. The Government informed the (British Government that this interference with the rights of American citizens in their own country was regarded with disfavor. The British authorities stood firm, though they stated their readiness to consider on their merits protests made in individual cases. Later, after the United States entered the war, the Americans became strong supporters of the black-list scheme.