EXCHANGE CONTROL – INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY PROTECTION SERVICE

It is a fact, that the exchange control on mail in our country was not put in practice for the first time during the years 1936-1940. In spite of the clarity of the article 56 of the Law 4581/1930 “about postal correspondence”, where the constitutional order that “the confidentiality of the letters is inviolate” (article 4) is continuously repeated. During the Inter war Period various decrees, circulars or other settlements came to the surface, which had to do with the submission of the abroad letters to control. However, there was a lenient control with the exception of some specific cases such as, the private registered letters, the mail of the Banks destined abroad (possibly exchange export) or the giant mail from abroad (suspicion of handwritings import without license).“Since the receiving of the letter, the content of the registered letters destined abroad must be checked by the employee of the Branch Office of the Bank of Greece…”in front of us and the appropriate employee”. In this way, the first application of the “exchange control” started, only upon the mail destined abroad, with the circular of the Ministry T.T.T,nr. 335307 of August 20th 1936. The exchange control was applied in our country definitely until the start of the Greek-Italian war. 

(Cover from Dimitrios Mentesidis collection)

Letter posted from ΑΡΓΟΣ ΟΡΕΣΤΙΚΟΝ-(ARGOS ORESTIKO-KASTORIA) with illegible sending date (. -. 39), it is opened and undergoes exchange control in the town. The censorship strip CONTROLE DU CHANGE – ΕΛΕΓΧΟΣ ΣΥΝΑΛΛΑΓΜΑΤΟΣ is put. The oval stamp ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ ΕΘΝΙΚΟΥ ΝΟΜΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ - ΑΡΓΟΣ ΟΡΕΣΤΙΚΟΝ (INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY PROTECTION SERVICE – ARGOS ORESTIKON) is also put, together with the initials of the employee-controller. The letter arrives at New York, where they realise that the destination is not written on (there is a stamp NO STATE NAMED – N.Y.P.O IS). As a result, it is stamped RETOUR-REBUT and MISDIRECTED (ADDRESS INCORRECT) FEB 20 1939 NEW YORK, N.Y. IS. So, it returns back to its sender, ΑΡΓΟΣ ΟΡΕΣΤΙΚΟΝ (ARGOS ORESTIKON) on –8.III.1939. Postal rate: 8 drs [(2x3 drs)+(2x1 drs)=8 drs] for simple letter which arrives at the U.S.A.