Government Control: Defence of the Realm Act (SQA National 5 History): Revision Note

Summary 

The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was a law passed on 8 August 1914. DORA gave the UK government emergency powers to keep the country safe and the war effort running.

The law was introduced to protect important locations such as docks, railways and shipyards. Information was controlled by this law to prevent panic and secret information from getting back to Britain’s enemies. DORA also gave the UK government powers to organise work and resources for the war, such as ships, coal, food and factories.

Alcohol

• The government was concerned that if people drank too much alcohol, it would impact their ability to work safely in important locations such as shipyards, mines and munitions factories

• The government used DORA to control alcohol by introducing strict opening and closing times for pubs

  • There were strict pub hours near shipyards in Clyde and Rosyth to keep workers sober and on time

• DORA made it illegal to buy rounds of drinks

  • In mining and industrial towns in Ayreshire and Lanarkshire, police and magistrates enforced early closing and banned buying rounds of drinks

• The strength of beer was weakened and the price per drink increased, making it harder to get drunk and more costly

Censorship

• Scottish newspapers such as The Scotsman and The Glasgow Herald were banned from printing information about ship movements from the Clyde or Scapa Flow

• Soldiers’ letters to families in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen were read by censors

  • The censors were looking for information about military unit names, places or plans

• Photographing, sketching or talking about sensitive sites such as the Forth Road Bridge and Rosyth Dockyard could lead to fines or arrest

Land use

• The DORA gave the government the power to take the land it needed

  • In Scotland, this included huge areas of farmland near Gretna

  • This land was taken to build HM Factory, a large munitions plant making cordite (an explosive propellant for shells)

• Land at Rosyth Dockyard and around the Clyde shipyards was taken or controlled for storage

  • This gave the Navy priority over civilian use of land

• Coastal land around Scapa Flow was taken for gun batteries and lookouts 

'Alien' registration

• ‘Enemy aliens’ or nationals of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Otttoman Empire had to:

  •  Register with the police

  • Carry an ID card 

  • Report moves or job changes

• ‘Aliens’ were kept out of security zones without a permit

  • For example, they were not allowed near Scapa Flow, Rosyth Dockyard, Cromarty Firth and the Clyde shipyards

  • Fishing ports in Peterhead also enforced movement limits

• ‘Aliens’ were barred from sensitive jobs in shipyards, munitions factories and telegraphs

• They had to surrender cameras, firearms and binoculars