CO129-315 - Public Offices & Others - 1902 — Page 115

Regd. No. 454.

Copy.

GENERAL POST OFFICE, C. 0.

HONG KONG, 40266 27th August, 1902.

Page 3 NOV 09

pavillon Français, qui se trouve dans le port même de Hongkong, et qui est affecté au service postal journalier entre Victoria et Canton. Le Capitaine de ce vapeur, acr rédité par l'Indo-Chine, a d'ailleurs toutes qualités pour donner decharge régulière à

votre office.

Je vous serais reconnaissant, Monsieur le Postmaster Général,

de vouloir bien me faire connaitre si vous partagez ma maniere de

voir; dans la negative je me verrai, avec regret, dans l'obligation

d'avoir recours à l'action Diplomatique.

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Postmaster Général, l'assurance

de ma haute consideration.

(sd) E. Lourme.

sir,

114

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your

letter No. 394 dated the 20th instant on the subject of the despatch of mails for the French Post Office at Canton which you desire should be made by a French postal steamer plying be tween Hongkong and Canton in preference to such being

forwarded as at present.

Having referred to the detailed Regulations for the

Article 1 and execution of the Convention of Washington having regard to the fact that this Office does not make

up a Closed mail for your Canton Office the correspondence not warranting it I do not see any reason for me to depart from the present system of forwarding, by the steamers under contract with the Government, to the British Post Office or Imperial Chinese Post Office at Canton only, all mail matter

for that Port.

These steamers leave Hongkong twice a day, except on Saturdays and Sundays when one steamer only leaves, and in my opinion are as rapid as can be desired, and it there fore would be ridiculous to add to the number of despatches by forwarding mails consisting of one or two letters at the most by every launch or steamer leaving Hongkong for Canton. No delay can honestly be said to arise from this course being adhered to, and I regret to say therefore that it will be unnecessary to make use of the French postal steamer to which

you refer.

The Director General of Posts of

Indo-China, Saigon.

I am,

etc.

(sd) E.

C.

Lewis

Acting Postmaster General.