CO129-315 - Public Offices & Others - 1902 — Page 146

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Address reply to-"The Secretary, General Post Omee,"

quoting Registered No. 399,481/02.

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GENERAL POST OFFICE, LONDON,

24 December 1902.

C. 0. 52000

145

The proposals of Sir Robert Hart as regards postal relations

with China, communicated in your letter of the 17th of November,

MO

No. 46,876, have been carefully considered by the Postmaster

General, who directs me to observe that the main proposal the

establishment of penny postage in both directions between the

Chinese Empire on the one hand and the United Kingdom and all

other parts of the British Empire on the other places him in a

position of some embarrassment. In effect it raises the large

question whether the time has yet arrived for expanding the

scheme of Penny Postage within the Empire into a scheme of

Universal Penny Postage. For it is manifest that if it becomes

possible for people in this country to send letters to any part

of China at the penny rate, there will at once arise a demand

for the same rate to other, and less distant, foreign countries.

7 then

If to Pekin, it will be argued, than a fortiori to Paris.

Unless that demand can be withstood the establishment of

Universal Penny Postage will be inevitable.

der Secretary of State,

COLONIAL OFFICE.

The