Evening star., 1901-05-13
TURKISH POST OFFICES
UNITED STATES DOES NOT MAINTAIN
AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE.
But Little known Here Concerning
the Domestic Postal Affairs
of the Porte.

Mr.. Leshman our minister at Constanti-
nople has not communicated with the
State Department respecting the troubles
at the Turkish capital over the efforts of
the porte to suppress the foreign post
offices. The United States government is
one Of a few of the great powers which
do not maintain an absolute independ-
ent postal service between Constantinople
and the outside world. The others have
a system of closed mail pouches by which
the mails are not permitted to pass
through Turkish hands while In transit be-
tween the border and the embassies at
Constantinople The British government
has a fine post office building not far from
its embassy. and Austria and France also
have suitable postal establishments in
tonStantinope These were established
originally not so much from lack of con-
hdence in the integrity of the Turks
from the very inferior character of the
Turkish postal service some years ago. 1t
is possible for any foreign citizen resident
in Constantinople. to receive his mails di
rectly upon application to the post office
at his embassy, The privilege is not linn
tied 10 embassy attaches or official mail
and this fact long has been a matter of
discomfort for the Turks, who, having
sought to improve their own postal service
by placing it under the direction of Ger
man experts feel that they have a right
to get rid of these foreign offices, which.
they claim. facilitate smuggling.
The United States government not hay
ing a post office of its own. always has
made use of the facilities of the French,
Aust ran and British postal establishments
in Constantinople
Little Information Here.
United States postal officials have little
information concerning the domestic postal
service of Turkey. This is not because
such information has not been sought. but
because Turkey has been indisposed to
give 1t. In the various editors of the Re
sumo of the Domestic Postal Regulations
of the Countries Embraced Within the
Universal Postal Union" published in the
French language by the International Bu-
reau of the Universal Postal Union at
Berne. Switzerland, there is no data con
corning the Turkish domestic service. a
circular, such as was sent to all other
postal union governments, was also ad-
dressed to Turkey, but no reply was made
TO it. This, it is said, is not because Tur-
key has any real objection TO making pub
lie the workings of her domestic postal
system. but rather because she considers
that such information is not @. sufficient
public concern to warrant it's preparation
and transmission. Turkey was one of the
early signers of the International Postal
convention. and although the date of her
signature is not of record In Washington.
it is known that she has been member of
the Postal Union since 1876.
The Last Report.
Capt. y. NJ. Brooks, superint endent of
foreign mails, Post Office Department. has
the last report of the postal administration
Of Turkey. 1t is in the Turkish language
and has not been translated into English,
so far the American department is
aware. 1t is curious document, bound in
pink cardboard, ten inches long by eight
inches wide.
nf To-
Americans would be the back. That cover
is ornamented with a crude line-drawng
illustrative of postal progress. A modern
steamship is shown and a locomotive draw
ing two cars, very much like pictures of
railway trains in England and the United
States half a century ago. There is also
the picture of a two-wheel mail convey
ance, an incandescent lamp. chemical
electric battery and a telegraph tape end
ticker. such as do service in stock broker
age offices. The first page, or what would
be to Americans the last page, is a table Of
contents. Then follow on the other pages
statistical tables showing receipts and dis
bursements, which are read from right to
left.
Turkish Postal Statistics.
The last edition of the Statesmans Year
Book gives the following Turkish post II
statistics for the year 1929:
Number Of post offices in the empire,
1,649. The inland service transmitted s.
165,ooO letters and post cards. 2,297 900 sam
pies and printed papers; in the internal
uonal service there were transmitted 2,CG6-
600 letters and post cards and $50, 600 sam
pies and printed papers,"
Ihe European governments having their
own post offices at Constantinople are
Great Britain. France, Russia, Germany
and Austria. In making up the mails for
Turkey from the United States, if Il letter
is specifically addressed to foreign post
phaf1 ha. 1tr-xr
in control of that office and will be for
warded thence to it's destination If the
letter be addressed simply to a city in Tur-
key it will be dispatched in the usual way,
and viii then be taken charge of by the
Turkish postal officials
There is. it was said at the Post Office
Department today, nothing in the universal
postal convention which binds Turkey to
permit the continuance of the foreign rost
offices at Constantnop1e. Turkey has, it is
said, allowed the continuance of these Of
fees merely as courtesy They were
created in the days when Turkeys postal
service was young and inefficient.
SETTLING LAR0R DISPUTES.