Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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LINES OF COMMUNICATION
The military exercised another form of censorship over telephone, telegraph and
written communications in "state of siege" districts. 209 Officers stationed at telegraph and
telephone stations, local post offices, as well as in the main postal centres in Roosendaal
and Vlissingen, checked mail leaving and entering the country.2l0 They had the right to
listen to or open any communication that passed through these stations and looked
explicitly for any anti-neutral or treasonous infonnation. Despite the fact that very few
letters were censored, the public objected strongly to the idea that soldiers could read their
private post. As a result, Snijders told his subordinates in November 1914, not to open any
mail sent within the Netherlands, and explained, the following January, that they should
only open suspicious letters and make sure they stamped all censored communications.2l1 In
December 1916, Snijders reiterated that censorship of mail should only occur if the post
entered or left the country, or if it was highly suspicious. In order to avoid agitating public
opinion, all internal mail should be left alone? 12
In fact, even the volume of post entering and leaving the country was far too great
to be dealt with effectively. As a result, in June 1917, the Roosendaal and Vlissingen
offices had their operations curtailed. Vlissingen closed down completely, while
Roosendaal operated with fewer staff.213 Instead, van Terwisga decided that officers would
travel around the various towns and villages in the south and make random checks on mail,
again, only opening post sent to or from suspicious individuals. He made no mention of
limiting censorship to foreign mail, which seems to imply that by mid-1917 censorship was
exercised on letters sent within the Netherlands as well, perhaps to help control smuggling.
209 Commander-in-Chiefto Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Service, 15 September 1914, in ARA,
"Archieven van de Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 89.
210 Inspector of the Post and Telegraph Service to Commander Division III, 20 August 1915, in ARA, "Archief van
het Hoofdkwartier Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 172. For censorship bureau reports see: ARA,
"Archiefvan het Hoofdkwartier Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 370, 371; ARA, "Archieven van de
Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 682, 1486.
211 Commander-in-Chief to Commander of the Field Army, 22 January 1915, in ARA, "Archief van het
Hoofdkwartier Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 172.
212 Ganison Commander in Maastricht, "Bepalingen betreffende militaire censuur" [Regulations regarding military
censorship] 29 November 1914, in ARA, "Archiefvan het Hoofdkwartier Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no.
184; Commander-in-Chiefto military authorities, 15 December 1916, in ARA, "Archiefvan het Hoofdkwartier
Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 172.
213 "Mobilisatieverslag 1917" in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 696;
Kleijngeld, Gemobiliseerde militairen ill Tilburg p. 42.