Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-03
PARCELS POST TREATY
NOTICE TO GERMANY OF INTEN-
TON TO MODIFY IT.
To Reduce the Maximum Weight
Other Countries Which Desire to
Make Such Treaties.

The United States government has given
a formal notice to Germany Of an inten-
ton to modify the parcels post treaty now
in force between this country and that
empire. The notice looks to a medication
to be entered into between now and July 1
next. This constitutes the first important
move in the policy now under considera-
ton of extending the parcels post system
to a number of the important governments
OF the world. Germany is as yet the only
government which has been in parcels
post relation with the United States. the
agreement, or treaty, with Germany having
been largely in the nature Of an expert
ment. Since it was entered into other gov
ernments have been clamoring for similar
privileges. The United States has now
received communication from number or
countries to whom representations were re-
Gently made that this government was
ready to consider the adoption of parcels
post treaty. Among these governments are
France, England, SPAIN, Portugal, Greece,
Belgium and the Netherlands.
Reducing Maximum Weight.
The German treaty will be modified by re-
ducing the maximum weight allowed from
eleven pounds to four pounds or four
pounds six ounces. Just which Of these
new maximum rates will be adopted is not
yet decided. The maximum weight allowed
in the domestic mails is only four pounds.
Now, II the German treaty Is continued. the
maximum rate will be adopted In the agree
ments which 1t Is proposed shall be adopt
ed between the United States and other
governments in the future.
What further modification than that OK
weight is to be made in the German docu-
ment is not yet settled, and it is possible
that a provision will be made to cover the
question Of transit rates for United states
malls carried across German domain to
other countries. This transit rate question
Is a vexed and long-considered problem,
and action along this line may be deferred.
Germany, 1t Is certain. would demand
reciprocal terms for its mails carried across
this country, which has a much larger ter
ritory for the German mails to cross. There
may be also some provision of a minor
Importance regarding the delivery of par
GELS.
The governments named have indicated a
desire to confer with the United States
with reference to parcels post and are
anxious for the adoption of treaties put
ting the service into effect. The negotia-
lions are still in progress. either through
the State Department or directly between
the postal administrations of the respective
governments.
What This Governemnt Would Like.
This government would like to have the
first new convention or treaty made with
those countries where no transit rates &C
crue, such, for instance, as England and
France, where the malls are delivered d.
rect to English and French ports. These
countries do not intervene. from postal
point Of view, between the country of
origin and the country Of destination.
There are other countries, however. with
which the government would like to enter
into such agreements that do not occupy
this status. as. for instance. Switzerland.
where transit rates are payable by the
United States on the mails Of the latter
carried across Swiss domain to other coun-
tries. Switzerland is a particularly inter-
esting government to the postal admins
trations, for the reason that its capital Is
the headquarters Of the Universal Postal
Union. which embraces every civilized ma
ton on the globe except Cuba and China
(and the latter probably will adhere to the
union at the coming postal union congress
at Rome next year,, and it would be graft
flying for that reason to have the little re-
public one Of the first with which to close
q parcels post agreement.