File No. 763.72114/3017e
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the War Trade Board ( McCormick)
Sir: With reference to the conference held at this office on November 20, 1917, at which a tentative plan was drawn up in regard to [Page 16] the censorship and transmission of letters, money orders and parcels to and from American prisoners in Germany and German prisoners in the United States, I have the honor to inform you that the War Department, the Postoffice Department and the Censorship Board have now officially concurred in the suggested procedure and that the plan has the approval of this Department also. The plan as drawn up and approved is as follows:
(1) To American prisoners in Germany—
- (a)
- Letters. That these be addressed directly to the prisoner in Germany giving his name, designation and address and marked “Prisoners of War Mail—via New York,” the letters to be mailed in the usual manner and the Postoffice Department on receiving them to submit them to the Postal Censorship Board, which will be licensed by the War Trade Board to send them forward after censorship.
- (b)
- Money orders. That these be sent to the American National Red Cross which will be licensed to forward them to the International Red Cross in Geneva.
- (c)
- Parcels. That no individual parcels be sent outside of the food packages which are now sent regularly by the American Red Cross-Central Committee for American Prisoners at Berne.
(2) From American prisoners in Germany—
Letters. That the Postoffice Department on receiving them shall submit them to the Postal Censorship Board which will be licensed by the War Trade Board to forward them to their destination after censorship.
(3) To German prisoners in the United States—
Letters. That the Postoffice Department on receiving them shall send them direct to the prison camps where they will be censored by the military censors supplied by the War Department and licensed by the War Trade Board for this purpose. Letters to prisoners held by the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor to be censored by the censors supplied by the Department of Justice who will be licensed by the War Trade Board accordingly.
(4) From German prisoners in the United States—
Letters to be censored in the same manner as under heading (3).
In concurring in this plan the War Department omitted all reference to parcels as dealt with under heading (1) (c). It appears that this matter can be left in abeyance for the present.
The Department will be glad to be informed of such steps as may be taken by the War Trade Board in issuing licenses in order to put into operation the plan determined upon.
I am [etc.]