Letters, pigeons and spies
War evoked the urgent need of residents for information which, as it turned out, could not be satisfied in war realia. Local press, limited by military censure, provided only the data that majority of Lvivites wanted to hear: about the weakness of the enemy and victory of Austro- Hungarian troops that would lead the country to victory and quick ending of the war. At the same time, together with the arrival of the Russian troops to Lviv the occupation authorities closed many editions, as well as libraries and books. Editorial boards of newspapers lost access to telephone and telegraph communication, and as the result of that the scope of publications was considerably reduced, and journalists had to re-print the materials from foreign magazines that got to Lviv with delays and were often quoted from memory. Censure interfered into private correspondence of citizens. On August 21, 1914 postal officials informed that they would no longer accept letters in glued envelopes and that they would not be entitled to open them. In September 1917 the Austrian authorities restricted correspondence of Lvivites with captives since censors failed to check them: “too many people ... abuse the opportunity of having correspondence with prisoners and even keep writing on a daily basis”. During the war residents were recommended to use postcards for communication, since their check required less time and effort. On January 31, 1916 a ukase was issued in Lviv prohibiting residents from keeping carrier pigeons at home as well as the ones suitable for long journeys. In case of disobedience owners of underground pigeon-house could be accused of espionage and aiding the enemy and legal proceedings could be instituted against them. Under the influence of propaganda a considerable part of residents were of the opinion that it was spies that were responsible for defeats on the front, and their activities posed a threat not only to state interests, but to the welfare of the very residents. As the war began, a broad campaign was launched in Lviv on detection of potential enemy’s agents. When a person suspected of espionage was identified, a crowd gathered around him/her and the bravest cried out offenses and tried to inflict bodily injuries.