Australia - Censorship.
Background.

World War 1

Adelaide Daily Herald
5 August 1914.

"A strict censorship or all telegraphic and cable messages was established inAdelaide at midnight on Monday. Colonel Dyke and Captain Willcox took up their duties at the Government telegraph office and the Eastern Extension office respectively at midnight under directions from the Commonwealth Defence authorities. Every message is submitted to them before delivery to the addresses or transmission abroad. The following notice was published in the telegraph office yesterday morning:
"Cables—Only messages in plain English or French will be accepted."

World War 2

Censorship in Australia was introduced on 1 September 1939 - the day Germany invaded Poland. The Courier Mail reported the announcement on the following day in a way typical of most newspapers as follows:

CENSORSHIP IMPOSED IN AUSTRALIA
MELBOURNE, Friday 1 September.

Immediate institution of censorship of all communications to or from Australia was announced by the Prime Minister (Mr. Menzies) at 6 p.m. to-day. Mr. Menzies said that it was purely a precautionary measure. Censorship would be in respect of communications by telegraph, telephone, submarine cable or wireless apparatus to and from places outside Australia, posted articles sent to and received from places outside Australia and shortwave broadcasting. A special issue of the Commonwealth Gazette notified the immediate functioning of censorship.

"This decision need cause no alarm" said Mr. Menzies. "At the moment it has been made simply on the grounds of prudence, to safeguard the national interest. The Commonwealth has been advised that the United Kingdom Government has taken similar action and that uniform action throughout the Empire is most desirable."

Telegraph And Postal Control CANBERRA, Friday: The Telegraph censorship order provides that, on demand, any person despatching or receiving information by submarine cable or wireless telegraphy shall submit it to the censorship authorities and obey any instruction issued in regard to it. The order gives the censorship authority to stop, alter, delay or otherwise deal with messages for despatch at its discretion and without notice to the sender.

The censorship system is to be under control of the chief of the General Staff and evasion is a punishable offence. The postal censorship order made under the general national security regulations empowers the censorship staff to open all postal articles and to withhold from delivery all such postal articles as are considered:

Telegram Conditions: The Deputy Director of Posts and Telegraphs (Mr. Malone) announced yesterday that the acceptance of telegrams would be subject to the following conditions:

  1. A telegram would not be accepted for transmission to a destination overseas unless it was expressed in plain English or French.
  2. The message would be accepted at the risk of the sender and would be subject to censorship by the Commonwealth authorities — that is, it must be stopped, delayed or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the authorities and without notice to the senders.  No claims, whether for the reimbursement of the sums paid for transmission or otherwise, would be entertained by the Commonwealth Government.
  3. The message would not be admitted as an urgent rate telegram.
  4. At the end of the text the name of the sender had to be inserted. Where the message was sent by a person the christian names (or initials) as well as the surname had to be included. In the case of a firm, company, or public Institution, sufficient information had to be included to reveal the identity of the sender. For example, New Zealand Loan might be used to indicate the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and "Henry Berry"  to indicate Henry Berry and Co., Pty., Ltd.
  5. A registered abbreviated (code) address would not be accepted either as the address or as the name of the sender.

 

Censorship in England was also introduced on 1 September 1939. The Perth Daily Mail of that day reported this introduction as follows:

Censorship of telegrams has been introduced in England. They will only be acceptable if written in French or English. If sent abroad code and cypher are forbidden. The urgent rate has been withdrawn and no inquiry can be made as to the disposal of any messages. Claims for return of fees cannot be considered. Telegrams, including those for the Press, must bear the name and address of the sender and recipient. Registered abbreviated addresses will not be permitted.