/300.194/4
192728/23
The General Post Office to Crown Agents.
Gentlemen,
London, E.C.1.
7th August 1923.
107
With reference to your letter of the
31st ultimo, I am directed by the Postmaster General
to inform you that letters sent to Hong Kong via
Siberia are due to reach their destination in about
22 days, as compared with about 30 days via Suez or via
North America; but so far the arrivals by the Siberian
route have not been entirely regular.
As regards security, while letters etc.
for Hong Kong sent by other routes are despatched from
London in bags addressed to Hong Kong, those despatched
by the Siberian route are sent to the Chinese Post
Office at Harbin. Apart from the handling by the
Chinese Post Office which is thus entailed, the
political situation in Russia cannot entirely be
ignored; and until further experience has been gained
it is perhaps advisable that the use of the Siberian
route should be restricted to the transmission of
letters etc. sent in duplicate the original or the
duplicate only being sent via Siberia,
I am, etc.,
(Sa) E.L.Ashley Foakes,
for the Secretary.
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