Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

Nf1L special pOSlaI treaty eiShou
| in Madrid recently between the
| United States. Spain and the
republics of Central and South
America is regarded here as the most
significant step in recent years
toward bringing about closer rela-
lions. commercially and diplomat
cally. between the signatory powers.
The convention will go into effect
January 1. or as soon thereafter as
approved and ratified by the coun-
tries concerned.
| For years the United States Post
Office Department has been working
toward the objects obtained in this
treaty. and at the International
Postal Congress In Spain the dele
gates from the United States, working
lin conjunction with those of Spain
and the republics of the south. framed
the treaty against the open opposi-
ton of delegates representing a num-
Der of European countries.
| Briefly, the treaty provides for the
Extension of domestic rates on letters,
jpostal cards and printed matter in
| between the
which signed the convention. BY ii
second class matter from the United
States is reduced from the<prevailing
rate of one cent for two ounces to one
cent for four ounces. 1t doubles the
maximum weight for newspapers and
printed matter from four pounds six
:ounces to eight pounds twelve ounces,
and increases the maximum weight
limit for single volumes of printed
books. No charges will be made by
any of the countries for their trans
| mission through local territory of
mail from one member Of the group"
| to another.
| An increased volume of mail mat
ter between the United States and
South America and better facilities
for handling it will result from the
treaty. and this will be followed by a
men of North and South America,
THE treaty also is regarded as a vic
tory for American ideals concerning
the duty of a government While the
European powers wanted to double
even treble in some instances. the rate
inow charged for transportation across
intermediary countries of foreign
imails. the Spanish, South American
and American delegates blocked their
efforts 1t was a case of service YER
suS profits and service won.
The effectiveness of the treaty will
be given thorough test in the next
few months and when delegates from
all parts of the world assemble in
Buenos Aires next August for an In
Iternational Postal Congress minor de-
tails not included in the present con-
vention may be added as amendments.
\ great deal of the credit for crea-
/ ton of the treaty is due the Ameri-
can delegates to the congress at
! Madrid. They were Otto Praeger,
| second assistant postmaster general;
S. NJ. Weber. superintendent of foreign
! mails. and Miss Elizabeth Lee Woods,
valuable assistance to Mr.. Praeger
| and Mr.. Weber in framing the pro-
visions of the convention.
x x
Gonzalo Montt arrived in Washing
ton last week to begin his duties as
secretary of the Chilean embassy. Mr..
! Montt has been in the diplomatic ser
London. He has served his country
in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina. England
and France. He is member of a
prominent Chilean family. and two OF
his uncles and his grandfather were
presidents of that republic. He has
been to the United States only once
before. having passed through New
York on his way to Europe
The National Museum here has an
nounced the departure from New York
within a short time of DR.. n. l.. Brit
ton, director of the New York Botani-
| cal Garden, for Venezuela. He will
be accompanied by five other scienti-
| fic plant explorers, who will assist
him in his botanical explorations.
| The trip is one of a series of investi-
! cations into the plant life of northern
South America which is being carried
on jointly by the United States Ma
/ tional Museum, the New York Bo-
tanical Garden and the Gray Her
| ba rum of Harvard University.
| Dr.. ]. y. Rose, of the Smithsonian
Institution. recently returned from a
similar trip made to Ecuador in which
! he discovered number of rare speci-
! mems of plant life. Two of his speci-
mems were named for DIR. Don Rafael
II. Elizalde, minister from Ecuador,