Catalogue description War Trade Department, Trade Clearing House, and Ministry of Blockade, War Trade Intelligence Department and Finance Section: Papers

The War Trade Intelligence Department was established on 1 February, 1915, as the Intelligence Branch of the War Trade Department under the title of the "Trade Clearing House". It acted at the same time as a Clearing House for all forms of Intelligence on War Trade available in the various Government Departments.

Early in 1916, when Lord Robert Cecil was appointed Minister of Blockade, the Clearing House became the Intelligence Department of the new Ministry, its name being changed to the "War Trade Intelligence Department," which title it retained until its dissolution on 31 October, 1919.

Early in 1918, the Department was for administrative purposes attached to the new Department of Overseas Trade, though still retaining its official connexion with the Ministry of Blockade.

Its functions were twofold:

• As a clearing house, it collected, collated and distributed information received from every possible source.
• As an Intelligence Department, it had to study every kind of War Trade problem, questions affecting the policy and operations of the Blockade, and economic resources, conditions and developments in various parts of the world.

The information received included:-

• Reports and other communications from Government Departments
• Intercepted communications obtained through the Censors.
• Articles in the Foreign Press
• Communications form British Traders and other similar material

This information was critically examined, collated and issued to the Departments interested, in the form of Reports on firms, cargoes and commodities, memoranda for the Contraband and Black List Committees, and in publications such as Daily Notes from the Foreign Press, Who's Who in War Trade, Transit Letter Bulletin, Secret Weekly Bulletin, Summary of Blockade Intelligence and economic sections of the Peace Conference Handbooks.