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efforts will be wanting to bring the negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion.
The terms on which the Government of Russia undertook to convey by the Trans-Siberian railway the correspondence of other countries were announced by the International Bureau of the Postal Union in its circular of the 8th of October 1902, No. 4487/302, of which a copy was duly sent to you, and it will not surprise you to learn that His Majesty has been unable to agree to the high rates of payment demanded.
In the endeavours made to obtain a reduction the British Post Office has been working to a certain extent in concert with other Post Offices, and the Postmaster General is now awaiting the receipt of a further communication on behalf of the Russian Post Office, foreshadowed in the circular letter of the International Bureau dated the 22nd of last month and numbered 2782/159. It will doubtless interest you to know that pending the settlement of the whole question the next Postal Union Congress, this Department offered to pay to the Russian Post Office for such correspondence as might be sent hence to the Far East via Siberia rates of 6 fr. 80 c. per kilogramme of letters and post-cards and 85 c. per kilogramme of other articles, that offer being based on the fact that the journey from the Russo-German frontier to the Pacific ports, as compared with some of the longest mail transits through single countries to which the ordinary Postal Union transit rates are applicable, works out at something over 4 to 1.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(signed)
H. BUXTON FORMAN.