COPY.
C.O.
30861
582
REC
GENL. POST OFFICE,
Res 18 AUG 03 LONDON.
28 July 1903.
Sir,
I am directed by the Postmaster General to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 22nd of last month,
No. 250, in which you state that the Banks in Shanghai have
announced their intention of forwarding their correspondence
for Europe by the Trans-Siberian route, a change which
involves the diversion to the Russian Post Office at that
port of a considerable amount of business hitherto
performed by the British Post Office.
While regretting this change, the Postmaster General
recognizes the fact that nothing else could be expected
seeing that, as matters stand, the Russian Post Offices in
China enjoy advantages in the matter of the Trans-Siberian
route which are denied to the Post Offices of other nations.
You will readily believe that there have been
unremitting endeavours here to come to an arrangement with
the Russian authorities whereby the new route would be
available for the conveyance of correspondence posted at
British Post Offices, and you may rest assured but no
Postmaster General,
HONG KONG.
efforts!