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in future be given by the Chinese Posts.
5.
Reservation of the right to reestablish the British
Agencies in the event of the Chinese service deteriorating.
The letter added that as one of these conditions expressly
stipulated that the Postal Agencies of all nations should
be closed simultaneously, and as it appeared unlikely
that the French and Russian Governments would agree to the
abolition of their respective agencies, His Majesty's
Government might not have occasion to give effect to their
friendly intentions in this respect towards China.
The General Post Office replied on July 12th
1915 that the Postmaster-General saw no grave objection on
postal grounds to the withdrawal of the British Agencies
provided that the five conditions laid down by His
Majesty's Minister at Peking were obtained.
On March 3rd 1917 His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires
at Peking transmitted to Mr. Balfour a translation of a
Note from the Chinese Foreign Office protesting against
the surcharging of the stamps used by the British Postal
Agencies in China with the word "China" as being an
infringement of China's sovereign postal rights. Mr.
Alston replied to the Chinese Foreign Office that he was
referring its protest to His Majesty's Government for
consideration, and in doing so he suggested to the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that, whatever reply
might be returned as regards the surcharging of stamps,
he might be authorised to take advantage of the occasion
to inform the Chinese Government that His Majesty's
Government could not consider the withdrawal of the
British/