NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE restrictions the Government has placed on foreign diplomatic missions in London are unprecedented, but not in the least sur- prising at the moment when great military operations based on this country are impending. The ban affects the diplomatic and consular representatives of all foreign countries except the United States and Russia. The Dominion; with the inevitable exception of Eire, are exempt from it. Telegrams sent or received by diplomatic missions must be in plain language, the contents of diplomatic bags must be submitted for censorship, and diplomatic representatives and couriers may not at present leave the country. Every Allied Government will welcome this temporary restraint, and every neutral will under- stand it, even if it may feel obliged to make a formal protest. At such a time as this no risks can be taken. The Government has already been compelled to take steps to minimise the danger arising from the presence of privileged enemy agents in Dublin, and now it must guard itself even against the possible inadvertence of friends who might carry information without realising its significance. Residents in Britain must for the moment be deprived of any secret intercourse with the outside world. The ban is imposed by this country alone, but has the full approval of the United States and Soviet Governments (which are exempt from its operation). No one can seriously question the necessity of this precaution where the security of hundreds of thousands of British and Allied fighting men are concerned.
