The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-02-11
Four Islands
wiIIAccept
Civilian Mail
0. K. Services TO Isles
Near Hokkoido, Honshu,
Kyushu and Shikoku

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb.
II (JACL Dispatch) -Effec-
tive today, civilian mail may
be sent to certain islands ada
cent to the four main islands
of Japan, the Post Office De-
partment informed the Wash
ington office of the Japanese
American Citizens League.
Order No. 1886, dated January
81, 19i7, and effective today, pro-
vides that civilian mail may be
accepted by post offices for the
four main Japanese islands of
Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and
Shikoku, and the following ada
cent islands, about 1000 in num-
Der, including the Tsushima Is
lands, the Ryukyu tNansei) Is
lands north of 30 degrees north
latitude, excluding Kuchinoshima,
the Izu Islands, and the Nanto
Islands north of an including Sofu
Gan (Lot's Wife,.
List Unacceptable Mail
The same order instructs post
offices not to accept mail for
Utsuryo (Ullung) Island, Take
Island (Liancourt Rocks), Quel-
part (Saishu or Choju) Island.
The Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands
south of 80 degrees north lati-
tude, including Kuchinoshima, the
Nanto Islands south of Sofu Gan
(Lot's Wife,, the BONN (Ogasa-
wara) and Volcano (Kazan or
Iwo) Islands, and all other out
lying Pacific Islands including the
Daito (Chigashi or Oagari) Group,
Parece Vela (Okino Tori), Marcus
(Minami Tori), and Onages (Na-
kano Tori Islands, e -
The Kurile (Chishima) Islands,
the Habomai (Hapokaze) Group,
including Suisho, Yuri, Akiyuri,
Shibetsu and Taraku Islands, and
Shikotan Island
Cites Difficulties
When the question of Okinawa
of Formosa (Taiwan) was brought
up. the Post Office official in
formed the JACL office that civil
ian mail was not being accepted
for these two islands. The reasons
advanced were the matter of juris-
diction and the lack of postal
facilities.
Under present regulations, the
Washington Office reports that
civilian postal service to Japan
now includes reply-paid (double)
post cards, ordinary letters up to
the normal weight limit of four
pounds six ounces, and unregis-
tered and uninsured gift parcels
not. exceeding / pounds in weight.
The postal order dated January
8, 1947, provides that the postage
rates for letters will be five cents
for the first ounce and three cents
for each additional ounce or frac-
ton. The rate for reply post cards
will be three cents for each half.
Financial Instruments Banned
An order date December 80,
1916, declares that business COM
munications of a nontransactional
nature may be mailed, but will be
limited to ascertainment of facts
and exchanges of information. The
transmission of documents, such as
birth, death or marriage certifi-
Gates, wills, legal notices, etc., will
be permitted. But the enclosure of
checks, drafts, securities, currency
or other financial instruments will
be prohibited.
Gift parcels to Japan have been
permitted since September, 1916,
the JACL Office disclosed. In adj
dition to the IL pound weight re-
striction, only one parcel per week
may be sent by or on behalf of the
same sender or for the same adj
dressee. The parcels will be SUBJ
ject to the postage rate of IA
cents per pound or fraction
thereof.
Contents of gift parcels are linn
tied to essential relief items such
as non-terishable foods, clothing,
soap, and mailable medicines.
Post OffiSe regulations state
that the parcels and relative Gus
toms declaration must be conspic-
uously marked Gift Parcel" by
the senders, who must itemize the
contents and value on the customs
declaration.
Parcels which are unbelievable
will not be returned to the send
ers but will be turned over
to authorized panese relief
agencies.
All parcels, letters, and post
cards must be addressed in Eng
lish, but it will be permissible for
the address to be shown also in
japanese, provided that addresses
in japanese bear an interline
translation in English of the names
of the post office, island, and
country of destination.