4th July 1939
Post-SCW censorship
ASSUMED DATE FOR THIS CANCELLATION. DIFFICULT TO READ. Post-Spanish Civil War cover sent from the 'Royal Mail Lines, Limited' in Coruña to an address in London. Featuring postage stamps Mi.813 (30 c.) and Mi.814 (40 c.), together with 'Censura Militar/ La Coruña' censor tape. The postage stamps were issued in October 1938 and it's likely that the cancellation month abbreviation is not a month in late 1938. It appears the month has the second letter 'U' making it 'JUN' or 'JUL' (1939). Ref: 04.07.1939 - 15/56
Post-Spanish Civil War censorship
The Franco regime enforced a strong censorship policy. On 22nd April 1938, one year before the Spanish Civil War came to an end, the Ley de Prensa was signed by Ramón Serrano Suñer, who was Franco’s brother-in-law and, at the time, the Nationalist Minister of the Interior. The law remained in effect nearly 30 years and served as a form of political propaganda. Four main censorship criteria were used: political opinions, religion, sexual morality, and use of language. Writers were not allowed to express any criticism against Francoism, its ideology, its ideologues, its accepted historiography, or its laws. Criticism of Catholicism was not permitted. References to abortion, divorce, adultery, and homosexuality were forbidden, and published work could not contain taboo language or a register that could be considered obscene or indecent. By applying this censorship law, the Franco regime intended to 'ensure both the dissemination of truth and the work of national reconstruction' (Foreword to the Normas generales, 1944). In fact, the policy reveals the regime’s efforts to control cultural expression and repress dissident political views.
Source: journals.openedition.org
Royal Mail Lines, Limited
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by a Scot, James MacQueen. The line's motto was Per Mare Ubique (everywhere by sea). After a troubled start, it became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when it took over the White Star Line.
The company ran into financial trouble, and the UK Government investigated its affairs in 1930, resulting in the Royal Mail Case. In 1931 Lord Kylsant was jailed for 12 months for misrepresenting the state of the company to shareholders. So much of Britain's shipping industry was involved in RMSPC that arrangements were made to guarantee the continuation of ship operations after it was liquidated. Royal Mail Lines Ltd (RML) was created in 1932 and took over the ships of RMSPC and other companies of the former group. The new company was chaired by Lord Essendon.
Source: Wikipedia
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