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22
Reference..
Mr. Carter
The cover addressed to Mr. Hall was contained in Curtis Green bag No.A32. This bag went to the Downing Street Outward Bag Room on Friday, 13 October, and there became item No.8 in Bag A148. Bag No.A148 left London on Saturday, 14 October, and should have got to Hong Kong on Wednesday, 18 October. However, the Way Bill indicates that it was received in Hong Kong only on Saturday,
21 October. There was further delay in Hong Kong it seems since the schedule to our bag No.A32 is endorsed as having been received in the Safe Care/T.S. Registry, Colonial Secretariat, on Monday 23 October.
2. I have been unable to discover why the usual five-day London/Hong Kong journey took seven days but it may have been because of typhoon Carla which threatened Hong Kong over this period and particularly on Thursday, 19 October. (It is worth noting that, according to the schedules the Bag Room here showed me, though the bag closes on a Friday afternoon it does not get to Hong Kong until the following Wednesday at the earliest.)
3.
Spare copies of the letter to Mr. Hall and its enclosures are in the attached envelope.
(P.M. Hewitt)
26.10.67.