CO129-315 - Public Offices & Others - 1902 — Page 113

COPY.

112 C. O 40260

GENERAL POST OFFICE,

According to that Article, "Chaque Administration est obligée d'expedier par les voies les plus rapides dont elle peut disposer pour ses propres envois, les depêches closes et les correspondances à découvert qui lui sont livrées par une autre Administration". Apparently the French Steamer is the most direct available means for conveying mails from Hong Kong to the French Post Office at Canton, and under the terms of the Article; the French Authorities may, it is considered, fairly ask the Hong Kong Post Office to use those means for the French Mails, whether it chooses to use them for its own

correspondence or not.

The case is slightly different as regards correspondence for the French Post Office at Canton which is posted at Hong Fong or received in mails intended to be opened at the Hong Kong Post Office. This correspondence would be included in the closed mails made up at Hong Kong and for those mails the Hong Kong Post Office is entitled to choose the route.

As regards French closed mails, however, received by the Colonial Post Office for onward transmission to the French Post Office at Canton, the Postmaster General would advise that they should in future be forwarded by the route preferred by the French Authorities. There can be no practical difficulty in the adoption of this course, nor, so far as is known here, would it be attended with expense. Indeed as the Colonial

Post Office is understood to pay the Hong Kong, Canton and Macao Steamship Company, under a contract, on a basis of net weights

of the mails conveyed, it would apparently be relieved of expense

by compliance with the French request.

Regd. No.

455.

Sir.

--D REC HONG KONG, RED 3 NOV 02 27th August 1902.

I have the honour to submit for the information of the Postmaster General copies of certain correspondence which has recently passed between the Director General of Posts of Indo-China and myself on the subject of the despatch by this Office to the French Post Office at Canton of any mail matter for that Office by a certain French postal steamer in preference

to forwarding such by the established British steamers now

plying between Hongkong and Canton.

At present the correspondence for French subjects at

Canton is so very small that I declined to accede to the French

Postmaster's request to make up Closed mails for his Office,

•

but I entertained another request to forward through the

Imperial Chinese Post Office all mail bags from France and

French Post Offices in China addressed to his Office. The

Postmaster subsequently requested that mails for his Office

should be sent by the French steamer "Le Rhone' but inasmuch as the mail service between Hongkong and Canton by the steamers of the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamer Co. fully met all that was required, I informed the Postmaster that it was unnecessary to make use of the steamer named by him. satisfied that a more rapid despatch could not take place than does now, and there is absolutely no ground for complaint.

I am

In view of the threat contained in the last paragraph of the Director General's letter I deem it best to place the Postmaster General in full possession of the facts relative to this matter.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

Marr

Secretary,

General Post Office,

London.

I