Relatives and friends at Home should be particularly looking forward to Christmas cards from Shanghai this year, and with the feast of Noel just over six weeks from now, the problem of the nearest and best mails is a particularly vexing one to many, in view of the unsettled conditions prevailing at the moment. M. A. M. Chapelain, the Director of Posts, however, is quite undeterred by the local hostilities, and has drawn up his Christmas and New Year mail schedules as usual, Three ships are listed to take mails direct from Shanghai to arrive in London before Christmas Day, namely, the President Doumer, leaving Shanghai on Saturday; the Conte Biancamano, leaving on November 17; and the Conte Rosso, leaving on November 27. Mails by these three ships are due in London on December 15, December 13 and December 22 respectively, Parcels had best be sent by the President Doumer, due in Marseilles on December 14. Mails will also be sent to Hongkong by available steamers to catch the fast passenger liners sailing from the Colony.
Mails via Siberia, the way things are at the moment, are apparently no faster than those sent by the Suez route, for the next two mails, closing on Friday and Monday, are only due to arrive in both London and Paris on December 22 and December 25 respectively.
Air mails are, of course, in a better position, The s. Jean Laborde, due to leave Shanghai on or about December 11, will get air mails sent via "China-Hanoi-Marseilles Lines" in Paris and London on December 25; via the "Saigon-Marseilles" line on the same day, via Imperial Airways on Boxing Day and via K.L.M. a day later.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.