The Washington times., 1901-07-28

| by the conference itself in its deli5era-
tons But the ease with which the prin-
| cples promulgated by the conference were
put into practice and the benefits accru-
ing to the international service by their
adoption appear to have prepared the va
rious Governments at interest to receive
not only without surprise. but as some
thing altogether in the natural course
the proposition of the Postal Admins
tration in Germany INSPIRED no doubt
by the successful operation since the year
1850 of the Austro-German Postal Union
comprising sixteen separate postal ad-
ministrations), in the year 1863, to con-
vene congress for the purpose of nego-
tiating a general postal treaty having for
its object the unification of the great
overs in SO far at least as the formation
of a single postal territory for the recip-
rocal exchange of correspondence between
them
The Franco-Prussian war prevented
the immediate assembling of the congress.
but at the conclusion Of the war the lst
of September, 1873. was sdesignated as the
date of the meeting of the congress For
certain reasons, however, the meeting
was postponed, and it was not until the
18th of September, 1874. that the first pos
tai congress was opened in the Hall of the
National Senate (Tagsatzung) of Switzer-
land, In the city of Berne. with repre-.
scntatives from twenty-five countries and
colonies, including the United States,
whose representative, the late Joseph H.
Blackfan, the Superintendent of Foreign
Mails Of this department, was welcomed
to the congress by its president with the
statement that it was the United States
IA INF fio rive In ~
tai reforms pointed out by the Conference
of Paris. and which the Congress of Berne
was about to attempt to put into practi-
cal operation by means of general
treaty binding upon all participating ma
tions. The congress was in session until
the 9Th of October. 1874, when the first
treaty concerning the creation OF a gem
eral postal union was signed by the rep
re'entatives OF Germany, Austria-Hun-
gary, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Spain,
Tire United States, Great Britain, Greece.
l;aiy. Luxembourg, Norway, the Neither
lands, Portugal, Roumania, Russia. Ser
via. Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
France signed a short time subsequently,
and Montenegro also adhered at once to
the treaty. The treaty went into opera
uno on the list of July. 1875. over a terri
tory containing population of 375 900. 600
persons.
BY its terms, the countries and colon
MES adhering to 1t were constituted a sin
gle postal territory for the reciprocal ex-
change OF correspondence between their
postoffces, through the entire extent of
which the right Of transit of the mails
was guaranteed at certain rates within
maximum limits. 1t provided for a uni
form classification of articles transmissi-
Die IN international mails. and fixed uni
form postage rates and conditions within
maximum limits fCr the same 1t greatly
simplified the detailed and complicated
postage accounts by providing that each
country should keep for its own use all
the postage 1t collected, and should set
tie with the other countries for their in
teimedfary service within the Postal I'm
ion upon the basis of weights, instead of
upon the basis of rates" 1t renders OBJ
ilgatory the forwarding of unpaid letters
and OF short-paid articles of other class
es, and exempted from postage charges
the official correspondence passing be-
tween postal administrations. 1t proyid-
ed that articles should be reforwarded
throughout the entire Postal Union with
out additional charge for such reforward-
ing. 1t recognized the principle of re-
sponsibility for the safety of registered
and recommended a limited in
demnity, $40. for loss or damage sustain
ed by them in transit. 1t provided for a |
congress to convene once every three |
years for the revision Of the treaty. in |
which congress each country should have |
one vote; and it established at an annu-
al expense of 5000 francs, an Tnterna-
tional Bureau at Berne, to be under the |
of the Postal Administration |
Of Switzerland, charged with the duty OF |
collecting and distributing postal statis- |
tics and information, giving an opinion |
upon questions at issue between admin |
strations. and in general in serving as a |
means of communication between the |
postal administrations. and of considering |
questions In the interest of the Postal |
Union, the expense OF the bureau to be |
borne jointly by the contracting coun- |
.ries in proportion to the Importance of |
heir postal business. 1t also provided for |
in case any two or more ad-
could not agree upon the
to be placed upon provis-
on OF the treaty.