New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-20
Passport Reforms
a London Committee In Aid Of lnts.
course Betwecn Nations

c0WSe oetWec1 Vdtt0N9
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; This committee has been formed
with the object of urging immediate
reform In the question Of passports
and visss and dealing with postal psvb.
Iems under the changed circumstances
which have followed the war. TIE
president Of the committee is Lord
Robert Cecil, and che vice-presidsnts
are viseouns Bryees Lord Parmoor,
Lord Blyth, Sir Donald Maclean, the
Right Hon. j. r. Clynes, the Right hon.
J. II. Thomas, Sir Alfred Booth and
Sir Richard vassar-Smith. The prest.
dent Of Harvard University, the prssi-
dent Of the Board Of Industry Of Co.
penhsgen, the president Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce Of Amsterdam the
governor Of Christisnia, the president
Of the Council Of State in Switzerland
and other distinguished representatives
Of different nations have Joined the
committee.
The committee feels that, although
the Swiss government has abolished
number Of most ridiculous and costly
police regulations which existed thres
or -FOUR months ago, much remains 20
be done in the matter Of passports.
The French charge So. for 8 visa: the
Belgians, on the other hand, charge 10.
3d.; the Americans charge e. 2s., the
Swiss 6s., the Italians los, and there 10
no uniformity.
The committee urges the abolition OF
visas at the earliest possible date, and
until that Is possible g uniform charge
Of shout 1s.s representing the actual
cost Of the staff necessary for contfe!.
ling visas, and the abandonment Of oil
attempts to magnify this irritating
charge into q means Of revenue. Ths
committee further urges that each visa
should be valid for the life Of the pass.
port. This question vitality affects che
intercourse Of nations with one an"
other and their economic relations.
The same argument applies 70 che
present proposal greatly TO increase
international postage. There 10 ta1k
Of making the foreign postage for
France ffty centimes and postage
from here to France fvepence. Our
government before the war was juset'
fed by the negligible cost Of transit
compared with the cost Of collscttea
and distribution, in reducing tmpsfisl
postage to a penny. The object OF
all aationalities now is 20 restore
trade. The doubling Of foreign post"
ege 10 NOT necessary TO meet the cess
and would be Q heavy tax on ail i'm
port and export business, and wosld
involve further increase in the price
Of commodities. Since it is posssoH
TO collect, carry and deiiYer g lesess
from London to the A"tin"ass 'ar
twopences IL 10 obvious that 70 msse
@ charge Of avepenee for .ettsr posi-
age from Dover to Calais is at ieass
TO charge two and half times the
cosSs and the additional charge sss
therefore, o tag on trade, pure ana
simple.
The work Of this committee wsa
consist In arranging meetings In sae
different capitals 70 diseuss the 9uss.
tioa. aud issuing an appeal for sup
port to oil che leading men In sas
parliements Of those different eoun:
tries and in che commercial world ana
taking such ether steps as naay BE- aes
cided upon to bring home 10 the gov.
ernments concerned the urgency ~
this question and other allied qesse
tions in the present time Of world ses
constipation.
MARTIN CONWAY.
Chais@sa Of the Executive ComEle-
zee. Passport and Postal ReseFsa.
10 woburn Squsrss LsndeAs vs. O ~
Gepe. o. 1880. -