Today in Postal History

India to United States
December 4, 1941

This diplomatic mail was sent via the Pan American Clipper through Singapore and across the Pacific.
There is no evidence that it was delayed crossing the Pacific as a result of
the Pearl Harbor attack however, it just barely made it ahead of the attack.

It was from the American Commissioner of the U.S. Foreign Service in
New Delhi and was addressed to the Secretary of State (Cordell Hull 1933-1944).

Although the British Empire was engaged in the fight of its life, the letter was
afforded diplomatic courtesy and marked as not opened and not censored.
There are two censor marks and I think that the smudged black triangle is a censor mark as well.

It was cancelled with two psuedo-machine handstamps.
I cannot decipher the town portion.

The paper was the typical thin airmail paper similar to onionskin used to save weight for airmail.

The letter was franked with current George VI definitives: two ½ anna brown,
two 3½ anna ultramarine, and a 5 rupee deep ultramarine
and dark brown (Scott 151, 175, and 164, respectively).

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