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Show CANAL ZONE MAIL DELAYED BY BRITISH Federal Postoffice Officials Explain Why Change Was Made to American Amer-ican Postal Officials. WASHINGTON. Nov. 1. Postoffice officials of-ficials explained today that the decision, announced yesterday, to have American mails for Panama and South and Central America by way of Panama handled by American postal officials Instead of the British packet agent in the canal zone. 1 was the result of an investigation which ! disclosed that mails were being delayed j in order that they might be carried on ' British ships and that Great Britain was : handling the mails by contract at a rate lees than the United Slates was paying her for the service. Postofce inspectors who conducted the investigation reported that there were instances in-stances where American mails which might have been shipped on American vessels were, diverted to British ships. Under new contracts the United States is paying less for :hc service and at the same time the companies, in some cases, are receiving more. In the future evry effort will be made i by United States postal authorities in the 1 American sliips. They have been Instruct-er Instruct-er to give the mails to American vessels, ves-sels, even if by so doin!? the postal mat-i mat-i ter should be delayed a day. I |