The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-05
The lnvioisbinty Of the Mails 1t ses.

Tho reply Of the Allies to our Gov.
ernment's protest against the deten-
ton and examination Of neutral mails
appears to recognize as Of binding
force the agreement contained In
Article 1 Of The Hague Convention
Number Eleven Of the series OF 1907.
This article Is as follows:
The postal correspondence Of nsu-
trails or beiligerents. whatever Its official
or private character may be. found on
the high seas on board a neutral or
s,>my ship, Is anviolable. II the chip
10 detained, the correspondence IA for
warded by tho cap,or with the least pos
s!ble delay"
The general position taken by the
Allies Is that this treaty has not been
violated in any rus with regard to
"true correspondence; that the
search for ~contraband concealed un-
der the postal folders Of the parcel
post does not affect the inviolable
rights Of "true correspondence" such
mail matter being Of the same char
acter as packages sent by freight or
express and equally subject to war
time search for c~ontraband.
But suppose that the Allies had
gone Il step further. Suppose that by
way Of defence. instead OF differenti.
ating between true correspondence
and parcel post packages. they had
suuarely asserted that the foregoing
article of Convention NJ. is not In
force under present war conditions.
Article 0 Of the same Convention
that declares the i~nviolability on the
high seas Of the postal correspondence
of neutrals or belligerents, whatever
Its official or private character may
be-" also declares the following cx-
ception to the aforesaid operation Of
the rule:
The provisions OF the present Con-
vention do not apply except between
contracting Powers, aud then only " all
sAe beIligerents are parties to the Con-
vention."
This is as much a part OF the treaty
contract ms the declaration Of inviola.
bility when all the b~elligerents are
parties to the Convention.
Now it happens that Of the pres.
ent belligerents not less than six Pow
ers are not parties to Convention Nj.
Of The Hague series of 1907:
Bulgaria signed but failed to ratify.
Italy signed but failed 10 ratify.
Montenegro neither signed nor ad-
bored.
Russia neither signed nor adhered.
Serbia signed but failed to ratify.
Turkey signed but failed to ratify.
or the six ~belligerents whose fail.
ure to become parties To the Con-
declaration of Article |. four are with
the Allies Of the Entente. namely
Italy, Montenegro, Russia and Serbia
while two. Bulgaria and Turkey, are
aligned with the Central Powers.
1t may be regarded as evidence OF
the good faith and moderation Of the
reply transmitted to u Department
of State on Monday by Sir CECII
SPRING-i,ICE that the question Is met
frankly and without resort to the
technical if perfectly effective an
swer possible under the circumstances
stated above.
As tn the sacrosanct character OF
the mails, apart from any provision
contained in any Convention of The
Hague, 1t may be well for Americans
TO remember in fairness that the In
volatility of international postal cor
r%espOndence, ever of ncutrals in time
Of universal peace, yields here nj
home to such minor considerations n,
our domestic tariff.