Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-24

by railroad lines, but the network of
rivers in the flowery 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 are not reached by steam trans
port must not be over one cubic foot
in volume But to all principal points
"a list of several hundred-packages
may be considerably larger
The confidence placed in China by
the United States in the matter of par
eel post is only a continuance of the
same sentiment that we showed two
years ago in letting the Chinese Office
handle our letter mail without hest
tation. as soon as China entered the
Universal Post union, on September l.,
| 1914. Up to that time postal union
mail had been handled through the
intermediary OF the services main
tanned in China by other countries.
The ratification Of parcel post con-
ventions has always proved a valuable
aid in promoting commerce and good
understanding between two countries.
BY a coincidence, the agreement be-
tween China and the United States
, went into effect Just twelve years to
the day after similar agreement be-
tween this country and Japan began
to operate. The opportunity to ship
, to Japan has been freely used, but
much larger results may he looked for
in China. because japan is, so far as
she can be. manufacturing nation
who prefers to export rather than i'm
port manufa ctured products. China on
the other hand Is frankly buyer ma.
ton.
One OF the most important recent
parcel post conventions was that
which we arranged with the Argentine
republic about year ago. There has
been a noticeable stimulus to our ex-
port trade with Argentina as a result.
We have now parcel post conventions
in oDerat ton with every country IN
South and Central America except
Paraguay, which has no sea coast, and
must therefore be reached by trans.
portation belonging to other nations.
None the less, postoffice officials be.
lievo that there is prospect OF con-
GLIDING an agreement eventually with
Paraguay also.
Under international parcel post con.
ventions it is possible to ship any
pa ckage within the size limit. up to
eleven pounds in wei sht, for a fiat rate
Of twelve cents pound to any part OF
the world where a convention obtains.
The rate is the same to Guatemala and
China. 49,.
Several other parcel post conven-
tons have been ratified recently, in
clrdin~ those with Greece and Liberia
as we'll as with number Of British
colonies 1t is interesting to note that
our first parcel post convention was
with the British colony Of Jamaica
which went into effect on October l
1897.
From this it is obvious that we had
foreign MARCEL post long before we
had a domestic system: and In fact
for many years it was possible to send
a heavy package bv mail from New
York to London or Berlin but not from
New York to Brooklyn. In MANY coun-
tries foreign parcel post has antedated
domestic: and in almost every case
the foreign conventions have resulted
eventually in the establishment Of a
domestic system.
The MULTIPLICATION Of international
parcel post systems Is going on stead
lily and points clearly to the day when
the whole world will be so linked to.
gether The war has proved some,
thing of set back: but there are ex.
cellent prospects that the United
States will conclude such agreements
in the near future with Spain. Portu'
gal and Russia. With most Of the prin'
cipal European countries they are al
ready in force.
The most important conventions
from the economic point of view are
those which link us with buyer nations
like Argentina and China. They are
valuable aids in the war for trade
which we shall have to wage with re-
doubled vigor after the other war in
Europe is over.