Ministry of Blockade: War Trade Intelligence Department and War Trade Statistical...

TS 14

1914-1919

Records relating to blockade created by the Foreign Office Contraband Committee and Enemy Exports Committee, the Trade Clearing House section, and the War Trade Statistical Department of the War Trade Department and the War Trade Statistical Department of the Ministry of Blockade. War Trade Intelligence Department records are also included.

The volumes consist of minutes, etc of meetings of committees; a set of Transit Letter Bulletins giving information about the activities of traders obtained from intercepted mail; and war trade statistics regarding imports into neutral countries adjacent to enemy territories. Some of the volumes consist of bound copies of Foreign Office confidential print.

For further records of the War Trade Intelligence Department see FO 902

Records of the Trade Clearing House and the War Trade Intelligence Department after it was transferred are in BT 73

Public Record(s)

English

• Foreign Office, Contraband Committee, 1914-1918
• Foreign Office, Enemy Exports Committee, 1915-1918
• Ministry of Blockade, War Trade Intelligence Department, 1916-1919
• Ministry of Blockade, War Trade Statistical Department, 1917-1919
• War Trade Department, Trade Clearing House, 1915-1916
• War Trade Department, War Trade Intelligence Department, 1916-1917
• War Trade Department, War Trade Statistical Department, 1916-1917

55 volume(s)

Following the disbandment of the Ministry of Blockade in May 1919 and the dissolution of the War Trade Intelligence Department in October 1919 those records dealing with blockade matters were transferred to the custody of HM Procurator General in connection with outstanding prize business.

A Destruction Schedule, under the Public Record Office Act 1877, was approved on 2 February 1920 in respect of the records, and the papers in this series are those which it was decided should be preserved permanently.

The Trade Clearing House was established during the First World War as the intelligence branch of the War Trade Department. In March 1916 the branch was renamed the War Trade Intelligence Department and attached to the Ministry of Blockade. The War Trade Statistical Department of the War Trade Department was transferred to the Ministry of Blockade in January 1917.

Early in 1918 the War Trade Intelligence Department was transferred for administrative purposes to the newly formed Department of Overseas Trade, although it retained its connection with the Ministry of Blockade.