Kasson to Evarts, March 10, 1879

No. 29. Mr. Kasson to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: The foreign office has just communicated to the various missions at this capital a circular note, advising them of the possible brief detention of letters at the frontier, and the possible injury to their seals in the process of disinfection. The application of this process is limited, of course, to letters from suspected countries, and is confined to certain designated offices on the frontier. Recommendations are made respecting the mode of sealing in order to preserve the inviolability of the letters.

By the regulations of 1837 a simple fumigation only was allowed in the case of correspondence addressed to diplomatic missions. It is now announced that this correspondence will no longer be treated exceptionally, but will undergo the same complete disinfection to which other correspondence is subjected.

Accompanying this note are the original texts of the circular above mentioned, addressed to this legation, and of the announcement of the ministry of commerce, and the English translations of the same.

I have, &c.,

notification of the imperial and royal ministry of commerce of the 28th february, 1879.

[No. 5729. For the official portion of the Wiener Zeitung.]

The correspondence coming from the localities in Russia infected with the pest disease will be subjected to disinfection, not only by the Russian authorities at the respective cordon-posts, but also at the Austrian frontier by the post-offices in Podwoloczycka and Szezakowa.

This disinfection will be conducted on the part of the last-named post establishments so, that the single ordinary letters, postal cards, newspapers (freight letters) will be exposed in a disinfecting apparatus with evolution of carbolic-acid steam to an elevated heat during several hours.

Inasmuch as the procedure causes, in letters sealed with hard wax, a softening of the sealing-wax and effacement of the seal impression, therefore the assurance of the inviolability of that class of correspondence will be effected in this way: that before the disinfection of the letters fastened with hard wax, official sealing vignettes (guard seals), which are not affected by the carbolic-acid steam and do not detach, will be applied to the envelopes.

Transmissions of money from Russia will, for the purpose of similar disinfection, be opened at the indicated post establishments by persons commissioned thereto.

The contents (paper and metallic money), as well as the envelope, will therefore be-subjected to disinfection in the prescribed manner, the remittance provided with a new inclosure and address, and the post-office seal.

Sample transmissions and pieces of goods (packages and freight transmissions) out of the infected provinces will be treated like the baggage of travelers coming from these localities.

After performance of the disinfection, the letters and post transmissions will be forthwith forwarded by the next opportunity to the place of destination.