CAB80-25 — Page 196

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166

This document was considered at Co. S. (+1) 18′′ Meeting.

(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT).

TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY. It is requested that spun dars may be taken to

ensure the secrecy of tins andument.

SECRE T.

C.0.S. (41) 37..

13TH JANUARY, 1941.

WAR CABINET.

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

Copy No.

POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

(Previous Paper C.0.S. (41) 6)

Note by the Secretary.

V

With reference to 0.0.S. (41) 8th Meeting, Minute 4, the following record of the action taken is circulated for information.

20

Mail Services.

Steps have been taken to set up a high level Committee with a Ministerial Chairman to deal with questions of policy in regard to overseas mail services, At the request of the Postmaster-General Lord Lloyd is being invited to be Chairman of this Committee.

3.

Telegraph Services.

The interruption by enemy action of all the through British cables in the Mediterranean has made it necessary to route all cable traffic for the Middle East round the Cape or via America and the Far East. The exceptional congestion on the cables for urgent Government traffic resulted in the accumulation on 2nd January of some 50,000 telegrams due to be despatched by the E.F.M. service of cheap rate messages for the Forces in the Middle East Command. As these messages contained the names of units as part of the address, the War Office could not agree, on security grounds, to their being despatched by wireless.

4. There have been protracted negotiations with Cable and Wireless Limited regarding the introduction of a cheap

strong pressure telegraph service in the inward direction; has been brought to bear on Sir Edward Wilshaw to bring this into operation, but he has pointed to the congestion on the outward route, described in paragraph 3 above, as an obstacle to Atroducing the service in the homeward direc

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