Fondosure 1.
t
OPY.
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
-lows:-
C.O
12985 178
Reca
Rs 17 APR 13
The facts about the missing weil bags are as fol-
On March 13th. a mail consisting of b bags which had
been despatched from London on February 19th. was received in this
office ex the S. S. "Africa". On the same day and from the same
ship one bag of mails was also received which had been despatched
from London on February 22nd. This beg contained the Letter Bill
which I attach for your inspection. You will see that the despatch
from London consisted of 5 bags but 4 of these bags which con-
-tained the bags addressed to His Excellency and to the Senior
Officer of the Fleet were delayed somewhere en route. I have tom
-day (March 18th.) received the four missing bags of the despatch
of the 22nd. February together with four bags which were despatched
from London on the 28th. February.
The Siberian Mail passes through so many postal
administrations that it is impossible for me to discover where or
how the four bags were held up. I am writing to London and to
Shanghai reporting the facts and am asking the London Office to
attempt to discover where the delay occurred.
I may add that the mail despatched from London on
February 15th. consisted of o bags and that four were received
here on the oth. March and one on the 12th. so that it is evident
that some irregularity takes place en route which leads to the
separation of the London despatch and the detention of a portion
of its contents.
10th. March, 1913.
(Sd.) S. B. C. Ross.
payment pas un zau