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188
.Devisoer vitneven Jauj, Jrisiquo в dowe to (X owcoIone)
.Yeaneli.IoM .D (.2)
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3.1.01.81
COPY.
Jonclosure
2
Secret.
K/439.
Sir,
Head Quarters
South China Command,
C.O.
38766
RECO
REG 7 DEC 12
Hongkong, 24th. October, 1912.
362
In reply to your letter No. 4382/1910 of the 22nd. October, 1912, I beg to inform you that direct evidence regarding the systematic tempering with mails by the Japanese is difficult to produce. I can only refer you to:-
A.
B.
0.
D.
The statements of the Postmaster-General, Hongkong, which you probably know of.
The attached extract from a private letter which des- -cribes in detail the modus operandi for opening letters. The fact that I have today received from the War Office a Secret letter from the Director of Military Operations
in which it is stated "Reliable information received in
this Directorate tends to confirm recent reports receiv- -ed from you regarding the insecurity of the Trans-
-Siberia Postal Route".
The fact that whilst I was in Japan a letter received
from Head Quarter House, Hongkong, and sealed, had been
obviously opened and resealed.
According to the statement of the Postmes ter-
-General of Hongkong the Japanese postal official employed in the
local Post Office is friends with Japanese people of higher class
than himself, and is known to be visited by Japanese Naval Officers.
It must be remembered that the Japanese spy system
is the most highly perfected system of its kind that it is possible to produce. Prior to and during the early phases of the Chinese Revolution they even had officers acting as spies under the guise of being chemists and hairdressers, as far off as Yunnan-fu.
I have etc.,
(Sd.) B. Tulloch, major,
General Staff, South China Com-
The Hon. Colonial Secretary, Hongkong.
-mand.