Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-14
PARCEL-POST AGREEMENT WITH CHINA

Ono OF tho Days best Cartoons

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. August 13-If
YOU want to travel In China and get
tho benefit OF old-time locnl color and
quaint customs. the time for your voy-
ago Is growing short II you delay
YOU may find tho Chinese coolic dress
cd In the latest America n made hand
me downs. his shaggy ponies harnessed
with American harness, his matched
hut pnpcred with the last design I'm
wall paper and adorned with chromOs
aud autographs struck OF in United
states Of America We have Just put
into effect. parcel post agreement
with the Chinese republic. -Four hun
drcd million people ARE added to tho
mail-ordcr market OF the United States.
Anything that can he put In eleven
pound packages can he shipped to
amy part OF China for L. cents "A pound
THIS is likely to prove AN important
step for both countries In many ways
For China. il means that she IS able
to trade in the worlds biggest mail
order market under conditions practi-
caily as favorable as those of Ameri-
can citiZens living In remote States
For the United States II means "A
chance to attack the Chinese market
problem from new angle. China
is recognized the greatest market
In the world in many ways. The field
is practically undevcIoped. The coun-
try is denscly populated and by no
means poor. The people are not "a
manufacturing people: they are typi-
cal buying nation. They are just be
ginning 10 ask for the products Of
Western manufacture. II has long
been clear that China represents ii
good American opportunity.
The chief drawback has been the
uncertainty of local conditions Amer
leans have been slow to put thcir
money in China, outside a few big
treaty ports. because disturbance Of
some sort or another was always like
ly to arise. which would mean Il heavy
loss. But II the Chinese market can
be served by mail To any great cx-
tent. with stock and plant safe on
American SOIL and no risk necessary
In China except "A catalogue printed in
Chinese. there would seem to Sc "a
chance for the cnterprising exporter
An immense number Of small arti-
clc5, both cheap and expensive. can
be ordered md shipped outright under
the cIcven-pound limit system But
MT. X L. Maddox. our Superintendent
OF Foreign Mails, believes that the
most Important results OF the new par
eel post convention will In the long
run be Indirect rather than direct The
convention gives American goods a
chance to establish Themselves in pop
ular favor in China. Every article
With the ''Ma de In u. s. a" stamp that
is ordered at fair price. that is up
TO catalogue description and satisfac-
tory in quality, means a strong ad-
vertsemcnt for all American goods
And this widespread advertisement
among tho masses is what the goods
of any nation needs before they can
take real hold In a foreign country.
Opcnx MaiI-Order Field.
After any given American firm has
rendered satisfactory service with the
class of goods that are shipped in par
nj
right TO look for mail orders Of Il
larger sort that will be shipped by
freight. Nowadays everything from Il
fsh-hook to an automobile or n port
able house can be bought by mail:
and it is just under such conditions as
prevail in China, where the local deal
err. who carries automobiles or port
able houses in stock is conspicuous
by his absence, that the mail-ordcr
catalogue is In its element. OF course.
there was always the possibility of
selling goods in China by mail. the
order to be shipped by freight. But
shipping cheap trfcs by freight is
hardly practicable, and 1t is from just
such small beginnings that confidence
and larger orders must grow. The
new convention gives America Il chance
10 sell large variety of goods To
China strictly by mail. and on such
foundation an important commercial
structure may he built.
II will come as something Of sur
prise to many people that the post
Office system In China is sufficiently
efficient ana we'll orSanizcd to handle
country wide parcel post AS Il ma
ter Of fact. there are considerable and
pOpulous Chinese districts t,ntappcd 10y
railroad lines. but the network or
rivers In the Flowcry Kingdom gives
an excellent basis for communication,
and one that Is literally made use Of
The Importance OF water routes in
China Is shown by the article in the
convention which provides that for the
present parcels destined for points
which arc not reached by steam trans
volume. But TO all principal points
a list of several hundrcd-packagcs
may be considerably larger.
Shows Confidence i'm China.
The confidence placed In China by tho
United States in the matter Of the par
eel post is only a continuance of the
same sentiment that we showed t.vt
years ago in letting the Chinese Office
handle our letter mail without hcaiin-
ton, as soon as China entered the
Universal Postal Union. on September
], 1914. Up to that time postal union
mail had been handled through tho
intermediary Of the services maintained
i'm China by other countries.
The ratification Of parcel post con-
ventions has always proved Il valuable
aid in promoting commerce and good