Sa
w arch dat
63/6474 (M.I.9)
وند
6.3.
29901
63
THIS IRFOR
13 JUN 17
The Director of Special Intelligence presents his compliments to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies and begs to inform him that the United States Postal Administration has agreed to despatch via Hong Kong, instead of direct to Shanghai, mail bags from the United States to northern China on the understanding that the examina tion of the contents of these bags at Hong Kong is expedited.
As Mr. Secretary Long is aware, it is important not to give the United States Government any ground for insisting on taking over themselves the control of mails at present censored by British or French Officers, and Brigadier-General Cookerill would accordingly suggest that telegraphic instructions should be sent to the Governor of Hong Kong to report what delay is at present imposed on the mails in question by the censorship and to what extent it could be reduced. A time limit of not more than 48 hours should, Brigadier-General Cockerill thinks, be laid down and adhered to even when the effect would be to forward uncensored a part of the mail.
Brigadier-General Cockerill takes this opportunity to enclose a copy of instructions recently given to the staff of the Postal Censorship in regard to the censorship of correspondence between the United States and neutral countries and he would suggest that the substance of the last paragraph might be communicated by post to the Governor of Hong Kong. The Chief Postal Censor has already been in communication with the Deputy
Postmaster/