Evening star., 1921-11-29
,eDRE|GNER DIRECTS
a|HNA POST OFFICES
Independent Branches Are to
to Be Closed, But Alien
Chief Will Be Kept.
MPANESE SEEK DELAY
:. Ask Postponement in Fixing OF
JAvTime Until Advices Are Re-
ceived From Home.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.

-1The independent post offices of for
algn powers in China are to be closed,
jBdt the Chinese post Office depart
eftfent is to retain foreigner at It's
jbead. according to the unanimous de-
sehion of the committee on far east
am affairs at the conference yester-
ikHYy. All except Japan agreed that the
.eiate for their closing shall ne jan
sfinry 1, 1923, but in response to re-
su,est from the Japanese delegate LOT
.Ttsne to cable Toxic and ascertain
Whether that couptry's offices couio
-ise closed within thirteen months. the
edate was left blank in the resolution
as adopted.
aAJapan maintains more post ofhces
than any other nation in China. Inc
chinese report the nv num1er Ds inenau Isnauese
say the number is nearer Sky.
though they do not have the exact
sHgures. The Chinese figures also say
the United States has one; Great
.Sritain. II; France. lS' ana S1sdSn eHples and
ssyeral other countries also have Of
ftGes.
-e1 system Reasonably Emcfent.
i..The Chinese postal system Is reason
ably efficient as post ofhces go IN tne
!ogient. 1t and the telegraph system
hfre one governmental function Which
5f.pntinues over the entire country uh-
disturbed by the split between the
;fSorth and the south or the lesseI
MARS between the provinces None Oh
6tIje battling Tuchuns military gov
ssrnorS) with ambitions to take every
'thing else in the country, want 10
cake responsibility for this work.
-s'As to speed and reliability. the
ot'hinase communications of post ana
telegraph compare favorabiy Win
1nr Q JFvDS r.
.EImstances. Most Of the countrys
5hiland communication is by river
t4sbutes or by paths through mountains
and plains. A striking Illustration OF
the pride and persistency OF the pos
,tssl officials in the smallest towns in
.Sraintaining communications in even
sac smallest towns was given last
iSRar when l was up the Henglong
4snfYer watching the South CHINA rev.
, eNution. The regular river route 10
asanton and thence to Hongkong was
-Slosed. The postmaster at WaicnoW
seearted daily messengers on 1oot
-aeross country to the railroad. Con-
..rinuous rain for weeks had made the
infested with bandits and guerrtllas
risf' both sides and the trip required
ssc day and night of continuous piod.
aaing. One messenger was shot, out
:xnother rescued his letters and mail
was received and dispatched each
sday.
~ Conditions Laid Down.
Tn ", the committee resolution the
,pnwers agree to abolish their post
NHices on two conditions. The first
ass that an efficient service be MAIN
famed The second provides for the
.ooltinuance of a" foreign director.
Since the post Office system was es-
iablished the foreign director has
Aeen French. No treaty establishes
atforeigner in the office. 1t is merely
GRquestion of employment by the Chi
reese government.
The foreign post offices. with their
domestic rates of postage to their
rf,nue countries. deprived the, Chinese
government of a considerable sum in
6Qpeign postage. Mail can be ex-
/: S,hanged between Shanghai and New
York at the same rates as between
xDy ashington and Baltimore. Similar
F.. -sonditions prevail in the larger cities
{, dff China between British and French
+, possessions, while, the Japanese post
{ l4fhres practically cover the country.
ssa Opium Passed Through.
The committee resolution provides
ebsct all mail matter passing through
the foreign post offices. except what
SSs obviously letters. The maritime
Bistoms always "have had this right.
hit there have been many complaints
That opium, morphine and other con-
qraband passed freely through the
offices without inspection. The reso-
luton puts the responsibility for any
auch violations in the future on the
1ereign supervision, its chief being
M. Englishman. and a large. proper
tlen of. it's inspectors foreigners.
rs ..(Copyrirht 1921