§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any communication has been received from our Ambassador regarding the future of the British post offices in Turkey, and whether he has any information to the effect that the Turkish Government has suppressed these post offices or intends, to do so.
§ * VISCOUNT CRANBORNENo proposal respecting the future of the British post offices in Turkey has been received from His Majesty's Ambassador. The offices have not been suppressed. The Turkish Government stated last year in the course of correspondence respecting, the British post office at Salonica that they contemplated the eventual suppression of the foreign post offices, and were informed that His Majesty's Government would be ready to take into consideration any well considered proposals for the withdrawal of the foreign post offices as soon as the Turkish postal system was found to be working satisfactorily in practice, provided that the withdrawal of the British post offices should be conditional on similar action by other Powers.
§ MR. ALLEN (Gloucestershire, Stroud)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Turkish Government have recently given notice that all mails destined for foreign post offices in Turkey will in the future be opened in the presence of the customs authorities and distributed by them: and whether he will take steps to regain a privilege hitherto enjoyed by Englishmen resident in Turkey.
§ * VISCOUNT CRANBORNEHis Majesty's Government have not seen any notice of the nature referred to, but they have been informed that the Ottoman authorities intercepted and distributed 1153 the contents of all the mail bags addressed to the foreign post offices at Constantinople on Sunday last. The despatch of the outgoing mails was also prevented. It has since been ascertained that the incoming mails will be allowed to pass as heretofore, but not the outgoing ones. His Majesty's Ambassador has joined in a formal protest which the Embassies at Constantinople have made against these proceedings.