MAIL INFRINGEMENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1940, Page 5

MAIL INFRINGEMENTS

SMUGGLING CONTRABAND GOODS TO GERMANY INDICATIONS OF ORGANISED TRAFFIC. DISCLOSURES TO UNITED STATES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, January 24. Figures of the traffic in contraband by letter and parcel, which have special interest in the light of the recent correspondence between the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom -regarding the censorship of mails, were made public this evening.

An Econornc Ministry official stated that opinion in the United States would change if it was realised how Germans in America are using every subterfuge for smuggling to Germany through the American mails.

The number of valuables intercepted demonstrated the necessity for the inspection of the mails against which the United States is protesting. Out of 4462 parcels mailed from America in a single month 4065 contained contraband cunningly camouflaged, including. industrial diamonds worth £2,000,000. The searches resulted in the seizure of bearer bonds and cheques amounting to 5,000,000 marks, also 500.000 dollars and a quantity of sterling and other currencies. It was stated' that in three months to January 12, 25,000 parcels from the American continent, mostly from the United States, were found to contain such contraband as food and clothing. Tn the same period 25,000 “samples" were seized containing, besides food and clothing, such items at fats, films, maps and jewellery. tn many cases the parcels contained "hampers” of groceries sold by German firms in the United States at prices calculated here to represent about five or six times the actual cost of the contents against a guarantee of delivery to the recipient. But the evidence suggests that such “comforts,” when they have evaded the Allied contraband control, rarely, if ever, reach the intended beneficiaries in Germany, for they are seized by the German Customs.

This practice has reached the proportions of an organised traffic. The parcels are dispatched under such disguises as “industrial samples,” and “designs for stained-glass windows.” One consignment seized in the parcel post was found to consist of pearls valued at £BOOO.

ACTION TAKEN RESTRICTIONS BY UNITED STATES. MAIL LIMITED TO WRITTEN MATTER. The United States Poet Office, states a Daventry broadcast, has taken steps to prevent the smuggling of contraband goods to Germany by limiting mail to Germany and neutral countries to written matter and photographs. During the past three months 25,000 parcels from mails passing between the United States and neutral countries in Europe as well as Germany have been intercepted by the British contraband control.