Sir,—With reference to my despatch of the 3rd ultimo, I have the honour to report that, according to an announcement in the North German Gazette, the system of reduced rates for what are called "week-end telegrams" is to be extended as from the 1st instant to Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free State, Transvaal, South and North Rhodesia, Nyassaland, British India, Burma, Ceylon, Malacca, Penang, Singapore, and Labuan, under the conditions described in my above-mentioned despatch.
The rates are as follows:
| Pfennigs per word. | |
| To Cape Colony, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal | 70 |
| To South Rhodesia, Malacca, Penang, Singapore, and Labuan | 80 |
| To North Rhodesia and Nyassaland | 95 |
| To British India, Burma, and Ceylon | 50 |
—I have, etc.,
W.E. Goschen.
Early in June a remarkable article on the subject appeared in a well-known German trade organ, the Deutsche Export Revue, which not only admitted the existence of the scheme, but confirmed the previous statement of the Ambassador, that it was being largely subsidised by the Imperial German Foreign Office. On this point Sir E. Goschen's dispatch and the article he encloses are illuminating:
Berlin,
June 9th, 1914.
Sir,—I had the honour, in my despatch of the 27th February last, to explain a scheme under which a society had been founded with the object of supplying the foreign Press, by telegraph, with information favourable to Germany generally and to German industrial enterprise in particular. I have since transmitted lists of the countries to which, under the name of "week-end telegrams," the cable rates have been very considerably reduced to assist the propaganda of the said society.
I to-day have the honour to forward a translation of a cutting from the Deutsche Export Revue, of the 5th June, 1914, in which the existence of the scheme is, for the first time, as far as I know, admitted in public print.
The Deutsche Export Revue, which is published in Berlin, is a weekly periodical devoted to the interests of the German export trade. It is regarded as well informed, and enjoys a good reputation generally.