CO129-407 - Public Offices & Others - 1913 — Page 221

1

I

Address reply to "The Secretary, General Post Calce,"

quoting Registered No..

210122/12.

220

GENERAL POST OFFICE, LONDON.

k

30 January 1913.

C.O.

Sir,

3548

REC2 (REGE 31 JAN 13

With reference to your letter of the 28th of December last, No. 40479, and previous correspondence, concerning irregularities the Mail service viâ Siberia, I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that the Postmaster General is not disposed to attach much importance to the rumours of violation of the Mails during transit.

The irregularities cited in the payers enclosed with your letter of the 12th of December, No. 38766, of which 1 for the those in original are returned as requested,

Occasional damage to

Lost part not of auch importance. Mail bags and seals is inevitable in the course of the many transfers involved during transit across Europe and Asia. As reports from China tended to show that the seals were not very secure, arrangements were made three months ago for the use of seals of another pattern which it is hoped will prove more satisfactory. No complaints have been received in this Office as to the condition of correspondence conveyed by the Siberian route; and no information has reached the Postmaster General which would lead him to suppose that either the Russian or the Japanese postal officials

The occurrence of stematically tamper with the Mails.

thefts of a few registered letters some time ago is no ground for constant suspicion on the part of residents in

China

Under Secretary of State,

COLONIAL OFFICE.