Law links and verification status · Blank forms. Citation links are generated from extracted text; unverified links, image-only pages and incomplete citations require review. Reference-book links open publisher resources, not exact definitions.

UniversalPostalUnion

PDF page numbers count from the first file page; printed labels may differ.

Open document online · Download source file

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
Convention and final protocol of convention signed at Stockholm
August 28, 1924 1
Ratified and approved by the Postmaster General of the United States
March 19, 1925
Approved by the President of the United States March 24,1925
Entered into force October 1,1925
Terminated by convention of June 28, 1929 2
44 Stat. 2221; Post Office Department print
[TRANSLATION)
UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONVENTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE I
THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
CHAPTER I
Organization and jurisdiction of the Union
Article
1. Composition of the Union.
2. New adhesions. Procedure.
3. Convention and Agreements of the Union.
4. Regulations of Execution.
5. Special treaties and restricted unions. Frontier zones.
6. Domestic legislation.
7. Relations with non-Union countries.
8. Colonies, Protectorates, etc.
9. Extent of the Union.
10. Arbitration.
11. Withdrawal from the Union. Terminaton of participation in the Agreements.
CHAPTER II
Congresses, Conferences, Committees
12. Congresses.
13. Ratifications. Effective date and duration of the Acts of the Congress.
14. Extraordinary Congresses.
15. Regulations of Congresses.
16. Conferences.
17. Committees.
1 For text of regulations for execution of the convention, see 44 Stat. 2273.
• Post, p. 873.
443

444 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
CHAPTER III
Propositions during the interval between meetings
18. Introduction of the propositions.
19. Examination of the propositions.
20. Conditions of approval.
21. Notification of the resolutions.
22. Execution of the resolutions.
CHAPTER IV
The International Bureau
23. General attributions.
24. Expenses of the International Bureau.
TITLE II
RULES OF GENERAL ORDER
SOLE CHAPTER
25. Liberty of transit.
26. Right to utilize the services of the Union.
27. Prohibition against unauthorized charges.
28. Temporary suspension of service.
29. Monetary standard.
30. Equivalents.
31. Forms. Language.
32. Identity cards.
TITLE III
PROVISIONS CONCERNING POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE
CHAPTER I
General provisions
33. Articles of correspondence.
34. Rates of postage and general conditions.
35. Prepayment.
36. Charge in case of absence or insufficiency of prepayment.
37. Correspondence outside of the Union.
38. Surtaxes.
39. Special charges.
40. Special delivery articles.
41. Prohibitions.
42. Forms of prepayment.
43. Franking privilege.
44. Reply coupons.
45. Withdrawal. Change of address.
46. Forwarding. Undelivered correspondence.
47. Inquiries.
CHAPTER II
Registered articles
48. Charges.
49. Return receipts.
50. Extent of responsibility.
51. Exceptions to the principle of responsibility.
52. Termination of responsibility.
53. Payment of indemnity.
54. Period for payment.
55. Fixing of responsibility.
56. Repayment of the indemnity to the Administration of origin.
57. Responsibility for registered articles outside of the limits of the Union.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 445
CHAPTER III
Collect on delivery articles
58. Rates and conditions. Settlement.
59. Cancellation of the amount to be collected.
60. Responsibility in case of loss of articles.
61. Guarantee of the sums regularly collected.
62. Indemnity in case of noncollection, insufficient collection or fraudulent collection.
63. Sums regularly collected. Indemnity. Payment and recourse.
64. Period for payment.
65. Fixing of responsibility.
66. Reimbursement of sums advanced.
67. C.O.D. money orders.
68. Sharing of C.O.D. charges and fees.
CHAPTER IV
Retention of postage. Transit and warehousing charges
69. Retention of postage.
70. Transit charges.
71. Warehousing charges.
72. Freedom from transit charges.
73. Extraordinary services.
74. Airplane services.
75. Payments and accounts.
76. Transit charges in relations with countries outside of the Union.
77. Exchange of closed mails with warships.
Various provisions
78. Failure to observe liberty of transit.
79. Obligations.
Final provisions
80. Effective date and duration of the Convention.
FINAL PROTOCOL
I. Withdrawal of correspondence.
II. Equivalents. Maximum and minimum limits.
III. Option of requiring prepayment.
IV. Mailing of correspondence in another country.
V. Avoirdupois ounce.
VI. Reply coupons.
VII. Registration fee.
VIII. Warehousing charges.
IX. Protocol left open to countries not represented.
X. Protocol left open to countries represented for signatures and adhesions.
XI. Period for notification of adhesion of countries not represented.
XII. Research Committee.
UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONVENTION
Concluded between the Union of South Africa, Albania, Gennany, the
United States of America, the whole of the Insular Possessions of the
United States of America other than the Philippine Islands, the Philippine
Islands, the Argentine Republic, the Commonwealth of Australia, Austria,
Belgium, the Colony of the Belgian Congo, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Can­
ada, Chile, China, the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Costa Rica,
the Republic of Cuba, Denmark, the Free City of Danzig, the Dominican

446 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
Republic, Egypt, Ecuador, Spain, the Spanish Colonies, Esthonia, Abys­
sinia, Finland, France, Algeria, the French Colonies and Protectorates of
Indo-China, the whole of the other French Colonies, Great Britain and
various British Colonies and Protectorates, Greece, Guatemala, the Re­
public of Haiti, the Republic of Honduras, Hungary, British India, the
Irish Free State, Iceland, Italy, the whole of the Italian Colonies, Japan,
Korea, the whole of the other Japanese Dependencies, Latvia, the Republic
of Liberia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Morocco (except the Spanish Zone),
Morocco (Spanish Zone), Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand,
the Republic of Panama, Paraguay, the Netherlands, the Dutch East
Indies, the Dutch Colonies in America, Peru, Persia, Poland, Portugal, the
Portuguese Colonies of Africa, the Portuguese Colonies of Asia and Oce­
ania, Rumania, the Republic of San Marino, El Salvador, the Saar Terri­
tory, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, the Kingdom of
Siam, Sweden, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Tunis, Turkey, the Union
of the Socialistic Soviet Republics, Uruguay and the United States of
Venezuela.
The undersigned plenipotentiaries of the countries above enumerated,
being assembled in congress at Stockholm by virtue of Article 27 of the
Universal Postal Convention concluded at Madrid on November 30, 1920,3
have, by common consent and subject to ratification, revised the said Conven­
tion in accordance with the following provisions:
TITLE I
THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
CHAPTER I
ORGANIZATION AND JURISDICTION OF THE UNION
ARTICLE 1
Composition of the Union
The countries between which the present Convention is concluded form,
under the denomination of Universal Postal Union, a single postal territory
for the reciprocal exchange of correspondence. The purpose of the Postal
Union is also to assure the organization and perfection of the various interna­
tional postal services.
ARTICLE 2
New adhesions. Procedure
Countries which do not form part of the Union are permitted to adhere
to the Convention at any time.
3 Ante, p. 282.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 447
Notice of their request for adhesion must be given, through diplomatic
channels, to the Government of the Swiss Confederation, and by the latter
to the Governments of all of the countries of the Union.
ARTICLE 3
Convention and Agreements of the Union
The regular mail service is governed by the provisions of the Convention.
Other services, especially such as those of insured letters and boxes, parcel
post, money orders, postal checks, collections by mail, and subscriptions to
newspapers and periodicals, form the subject of Agreements among countries
of the Union.
Such Agreements are obligatory only for the countries which have adhered
to them.
Adhesion to one or more of those Agreements is subject to the provisions
of the preceding Article.
ARTICLE 4
Regulations of execution
The Administrations of the Union draw up, by mutual consent, in the
Regulations of Execution,4 the measures of order and detail necessary for
the execution of the Convention and the Agreements.
ARTICLE 5
Special treaties and restricted Unions. Frontier Zones
1. The countries of the Union have the right to maintain and conclude
treaties, as well as to maintain and establish restricted unions, with a view
to the reduction of rates or to any other improvement of postal relations.
2. For their part, the Administrations are authorized to make the necessary
agreements among themselves relative to questions which do not interest the
whole of the Union, on the condition that they do not introduce any provi­
sions less favorable than those provided by the Acts of the Union. They may,
in particular, with regard to articles of correspondence, make agreements
among themselves for the adoption of reduced postage rates within a radius
of 30 kilometers.
ARTICLE 6
Domestic legislation
The provisions of the Convention and Agreements of the Union do not
affect the legislation of each country in anything which is not expressly pro­
vided for by those Acts.
• See footnote 1, p. 443.

448 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
ARTICLE 7
Relations with countries foreign to the Union
Administrations of the Union which maintain relations with countries
foreign to the Union are bound to place those relations at the disposal of the
other Administrations for the exchange of correspondence.
The provisions of the Convention apply to the exchange of articles of
correspondence between countries of the Union and countries foreign to the
Union whenever such exchange employs the services of at least two of the
contracting parties.
ARTICLE 8
Colonies) Protectorates) etc.
In the sense of the Convention and the Agreements, particularly in regard
to their right to vote in Congresses and Conferences and in the interval
between meetings, as well as to their share in the expenses of the International
Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, the following are considered as form­
ing a single country or a single Administration of the Union, as the case
may be:
1° The Colony of the Belgian Congo;
2° The whole of the Insular Possessionsof the United States of America
other than the Philippine Islands, and comprising Hawaii, Porto Rico,
Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States of America;
3° The Philippine Islands;
4° The whole of the Spanish Colonies;
5° Algeria;
6° The French Colonies and Protectorates of Indo-China;
7° The whole of the other French Colonies;
8° The whole of the Italian Colonies;
9° .Korea;
10° The whole of the other Japanese Dependencies;
11 ° The Dutch East Indies;
12° The Dutch Colonies in America;
13° The Portllguese Colonies of Africa;
14° The Portuguese Colonies of Asia and Oceania.
ARTiCLE 9
Extent of the Union
The following are considered as belonging to the Universal Postal Union:
(a) Post Offices established by countries of the Union in countries foreign
to the Union;

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 449
(b) The Principality of Liechtenstein, as belonging to the Postal Admin­
istration of Switzerland;
(c) The Faroe Islands and Greenland as forming part of Denmark;
(d) The Spanish possessions on the north coast of Africa, as forming
part of Spain; the Republic of Andorra, as belonging to the Spanish Postal
Administration;
(e) The Principality of Monaco, as belonging to the Postal Administra­
tion of France;
(f) Walfish Bay, as forming part of the Union of South Mrica; Basuto­
land, as belonging to the Postal Administration of the Union of South Africa;
(g) The Norwegian post officesestablished on the islands of Spitzbergen,
as belonging to the Postal Administration of Norway.
ARTICLE 10
Arbitration
1. In case of disagreement between two or more members of the Union
as to the interpretation of the Convention and Agreements, or as to the
responsibility imposed upon an Administration by the application of those
Acts, the question in dispute is decided by arbitration. To that end, each of
the Administrations concerned chooses another member of the Union which
is not directly interested in the matter.
If one of the Administrations involved in the dispute does not take any
action on a proposal for arbitration within a period of six months, or nine
months in the case of oversea countries, the International Bureau, upon a
request made of it to that effect, may call upon the defaulting Administration
to appoint an arbitrator, or may appoint one itself officially.
2. The decision of the arbitrators is made on an absolute majority of votes.
3. In case of equality of votes, the arbitrators, for the purpose of settling
the difference, choose another Administration which likewise has no interest
in ,the dispute. In case of disagreement on a choice, that Administration
shall be designated by the International Bureau from among the members
of the Union not proposed by the arbitrators.
4. Only such Administrations as are executing the Agreement under
litigation may be designated as arbitrators.
ARTICLE] 1
Withdrawal from the Union. Termination of participation
in the Agreements
Each contracting party has the option of withdrawing from the Union
or of ceasing to participate in the Agreements by notice given one year in
advance by its Government to the Government of the Swiss Confederation.
211l-916-6!l--30

450 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
CHAPTER II
CONGRESSES, CONFERENCES, COMMITTEES
ARTICLE 12
Congresses
1. Delegates from the countries of the Union meet in Congress not later
than five years after the effective date of the Acts of the preceding Con­
gress,with a view to revising or completing them, if necessary.
Each country is represented at the Congress by one or more plenipotentiary
delegates, provided with the necessary credentials by their Government. It
may, if necessary, be represented by the delegation of another country. How­
ever, it is understood that a delegation may be charged with representing only
two countries, including the one by which it was first accredited.
In the deliberations each country has only one vote.
2. Each Congress fixes the place of meeting of the next Congress. The
Congress is called together by the Government of the country in which it is
to take place, after agreement with the International Bureau. That Govern­
ment is likewise charged with notifying all the Governments and Countries of
the Union of the decisions made by the Congress.
ARTICLE 13
Ratifications.Effective date and duration of the Acts of the Congress
The Acts of the Congresses are ratified as soon as possible, and the rati­
fications are communicated to the Government of the country in which the
Congress was held.
In case that one or more of the contracting parties do not ratify one or
the other of the Acts signed by them, the Acts will be none the less valid for
the countries which have ratified them.
Those Acts are put into effect simultaneously and have the same duration.
From the date fixed for the entry into force of the Acts adopted by a Con­
gress, all the Acts of the preceding Congress are abrogated, barring contrary
agreement.
ARTICLE 14
ExtraordinaryCongresses
An extraordinary Congress is called together after agreement with the
International Bureau when a request to that effect is made or approved by at
least two-thirds of the contracting countries.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 451
The rules set forth in Articles 12 and 13 are applicable to the delegations
in the deliberations and Acts of the extraordinary Congresses.
ARTICLE 15
Regulations of Congresses
Each Congress draws up the necessary regulations for its work and its
deliberations.
ARTICLE 16
Conferences
Conferences charged with the examination of purely administrative ques­
tions may be called together at the request of at least two-thirds of the Ad­
ministrations of the Union.
They are called together after agreement with the International Bureau.
The Conferences draw up their regulations.
ARTICLE 17
Committees
The Committees charged by a Congress or a Conference with the study
of one or more determined questions are called together by the Interna­
tional Bureau, if necessary after agreement with the Administration of the
country where such Committees are to meet.
CHAPTER III
PROPOSITIONS DURING THE INTERVAL BETWEEN MEETINGS
ARTICLE 18
Introduction of the propositions
During the interval between meetings, every Administration has the right
to address propositions concerning the Convention and its Regulations to the
Administrations through the intermediary of the International Bureau.
The same right is accorded to the Administrations of the countries par­
ticipating in the Agreements in regard to those Agreements and their
Regulations.
In order to be considered, all propositions introduced during the interval
between meetings must be supported by at least two Administrations, with­
out counting the one from which they come. Such propositions are ignored
when the International Bureau does not receive, at the same time, the neces­
sary number of declarations of support.

452 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
ARTICLE 19
Examination of the Propositions
Every proposition is submitted to the following procedure:
A period of six months is allowed to the Administrations, in order to
examine the propositions and send their observations, if any, to the Inter­
national Bureau. Amendments are not admitted. The replies are assembled
by the International Bureau and communicated to the Administrations,
with an invitation to pronounce themselves for or against. Those which have
not sent in their votes within a period of six months, counting from the date
of the second circular of the International Bureau notifying them of the
observations made, are considered as abstaining.
If the proposition concerns an Agreement or the Regulations relative
thereto, only the Administrations which have adhered to that Agreement can
take part in the procedure indicated above.
ARTICLE 20
Conditions of Approval
1. In order to become effective, the propositions must obtain:
(a) Unanimity of votes if it is a question of adding new provisions or
modifying the provisions of Titles I and II and of Articles 33 to 36, 38, 48
to 53, 55, 56, 58, 60 to 63, 65 to 75, 77 to 80 of the Convention, and of
Articles 1, 4, 17, 53, 66, and 86 of the Regulations.
(b) Two-thirds of the votes if it is a question of modifying provisions other
than those mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
(c) Absolute majority if it is a question of interpreting the provisions
of the Convention and its Regulations, except the case of disagreement to
be submitted to arbitration contemplated by Article 10.
2. The Agreements fix the conditions to which the approval of proposi­
tions concerning them is subject.
ARTICLE 21
Notification of the Resolutions
The additions to and modifications of the Convention and Agreements are
sanctioned by a diplomatic declaration which the Government of the Swiss
Confederation is charged with making up and transmitting, at the request
of the International Bureau, to the Governments of the contracting countries.
The additions to and modifications of the Regulations are established
and communicated to the Administrations by the International Bureau. The
same applies to the interpretations contemplated under letter (c) of the
preceding Article.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 453
ARTICLE 22
Execution of the Resolutions
No addition or modification adopted is effective until at least three
months after its notification.
CHAPTER IV
THE INTERNATIONAL BUREAU
ARTICLE 23
General Attributions
1. A central Office, functioning at Berne under the name of International
Bureau of the Universal Postal Union and placed under the supervision of
the SwissPostal Administration, serves as an organ of liaison, information, and
consultation for the countries of the Union.
This Bureau is charged, principally, with assembling, coordinating, pub­
lishing, and distributing information of all kinds which concerns the inter­
national postal service; with giving, at the request of the interested parties
an opinion on questions in dispute; with making known requests for modifica­
tion of the Acts of the Congress; with notifying the changes adopted; and,
in general, with undertaking the studies and works of editing and docu­
mentation which the Convention, the Agreements, and their Regulations
attribute to it, or which may be intrusted to it in the interest of the Union.
2. It intervenes, as a disbursing office, in the settlement of accounts of all
kinds relative to the international postal service between Administrations
requesting such intervention.
ARTICLE 24
Expenses of the International Bureau
1. Each Congress fixes the maximum figure which the ordinary annual
expenses of the International Bureau may amount to.
Those expenses, as well as the extraordinary expenses arising from the
meeting of a Congress, a Conference or a Committee and the expenses in­
curred in connection with special work confided to the Bureau, are shared
by all of the countries of the Union.
2. The countries of the Union are divided, for that purpose, into seven
classes,each of which contributes to the expenses in the following proportion:
First class. .
Second class .
Third class .
Fourth class.
Fifth class. .
Sixth class. .
Seven th class .
25 units
20 units
15 units
10 units
5 units
3 units
1 unit

454 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
3. In case of a new adhesion, the Government of the Swiss Confederation
determines, by mutual agreement with the Government of the country con­
cerned, the class in which it is to be placed in view of the division of the ex­
penses of the International Bureau.
TITLE II
RULES OF GENERAL ORDER
SOLE CHAPTER
ARTICLE 25
Liberty of Transit
1. Liberty of transit is guaranteed throughout the entire territory of the
Union.
2. Liberty of transit of parcel post is limited to the territory of the countries
participating in that service. Insured articles may be transported in closed
mails over the territory of countries which do not adhere to the Agreement
relative to that service, but the responsibility of those countries is limited to
that prescribed for registered articles.
ARTICLE 26
Right To Utilize the Services of the Union
The countries of the Union recognize the right of all persons to utilize the
services which form the subject of the Convention and Agreements.
ARTICLE 27
Prohibition Against Unauthorized Charges
It is forbidden to collect postage charges of any nature whatever, other
than those provided by the Convention and the Agreements.
ARTICLE 28
Temporary Suspension of Service
When, as a result of exceptional circumstances, an Administration finds it­
self obliged to suspend, temporarily, and in a general or partial manner,
either the dispatch of articles of correspondence delivered to it by another
Administration, or the execution of one or of several special services, it is
bound to give notice thereof immediately, if necessary by telegraph, to the
Administration or Administrations concerned.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 455
ARTICLE 29
Monetary Standard
The franc used as the monetary unit in the provisions of the Convention
and the Agreements is the gold franc of 100 centimes weighing 1%1 of a gram
and having a fineness of 0.900.
ARTICLE 30
Equivalents
In each country of the Union, the rates are fixed according to equivalents
corresponding, as exactly as possible, to the value of the franc in the current
money of that country.
ARTICLE 31
Forms. Language
I. The forms used by the Administrations in their reciprocal relations shall
be edited in the French language, with or without an interlinear translation in
another language, unless the Administrations concerned arrange otherwise by
direct agreement.
2. The forms used by the public which are not printed in the French
language must bear an interlinear translation in that language.
3. The forms covered by Sections 1 and 2 shall have dimensions as near as
possible to those prescribed by the Regulations of the Convention and of the
Agreements.
4. The Administrations may come to agreements as to the language to be
employed for official correspondence in their reciprocal relations.
ARTICLE 32
Identity Cards
I. Each Administration may issue, to persons who apply for them, identity
cards valid as proof of identity in all transactions effected by the post offices
of the countries which do not give notice of their refusal to admit them.
2. The Administration which issues an identity card is authorized to col­
lect, on that account, a charge not exceeding 1 franc.
3. Administrations are relieved from all responsibility when it is proved
that a mail article was delivered or a money order was paid upon presentation
of a regular identity card.
Neither are they responsible for the consequences of loss, theft or fraudulent
use of a regular identity card.
4. An identity .card is valid for a period of three years, counting from the
date of issue.

456 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
TITLE III
PROVISIONS CONCERNING POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 33
Articles of Correspondence
The denomination "articles of correspondence" applies to letters, single
and reply-paid post cards, commercial papers, samples of merchandise, and
prints of all kinds, including prints in relief for the use of the blind.
ARTICLE 34
Rates of Postage and General Conditions
1. The rates of postage for the transportation of articles of correspondence
throughout the whole extent of the Union, including delivery at the residence
of the addressee in countries where the delivery service is or may be estab­
lished, are fixed in accordance with the indications of the following table:
Limits
------------------RatesArticles
Units
of
weight Of
weight
Of dimensions
------_._------' --- ------ ---_._----------
Post cards, single , ..
Post cards, with reply paid. . . . . '
Grams
Letters, first unit of weight. . . • . 20
Letters, each additional unit.:. . .
5
5
5
25
Prints .
Prints, raised, for the blind .
Commercial papers .
Commercial papers, minimum
charge.
Samples of merchandise .
Samples of merchandise,
minimum charge.
50
1,000
50
50
Cen­
times
} {
45 em. on each side. In the
25 2 kg. . . form of a roll: 75 em. in
15 length and 10 em. in diameter.
(
Maximum: 15 em. in length
15 ' and 10.5 em. in width.
30 ' Minimum: 10 em. in length
and 7 em. in diameter.
2 kg!.. 'J
23 kkg . .. As for letters.g ...
{
45 em. in length; 20 em. in
5 500 width; 10 em. in thickness.
10 g. . In the form of a roll: 45 em.
....... , in length and 15 em. in
diameter.
! That weight is increased to 3 kilograms for single volumes.
The Administrations have the option of granting, in their reciprocal rela­
tions, to newspapers and periodicals mailed directly by the publishers, a re­
duction of 50 per cent from the regular rate for printed matter.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 457
The same option is accorded to them in regard to stitched or bound books,
with the exception of all price lists and catalogs.
The same also applies to literary and scientific editions exchanged between
institutions of learning.
2. Each country of the Union shall fix the rates to be charged for articles
of correspondence in accordance with the indications of the foregoing table.
3. Letters shall not contain any letter, note or document addressed to per­
sons other than the addressee or to persons making their domicile with the
latter.
4. Commercial papers, samples of merchandise and prints of any kind shall
not contain any letter or note having the character of actual and personal
correspondence; they shall be so prepared as to facilitate verification, except
as provided by the Regulations.
5. The limits of weight and dimensions fixed by Section 1 of this Article
shall not apply to the correspondence relative to the postal service mentioned
in Section 1 of Article 43. .
6. Packages containing samples of merchandise shall not contain any arti­
cle having a salable value.
7. The inclusion in a single package of different classes of mail matter
(grouped articles) is authorized under the conditions set forth in the
Regulations.
8. Except as provided by the Convention and the Regulations, articles
which do not comply with the requirements shall not be dispatched.
Articles which have been accepted contrary to the requirements may be
returned to the country of origin. If the country of destination effects delivery
to the addressee, it shall collect such postage and surcharges as are provided
for the class of correspondence to which the article actually belongs.
9. Articles bearing letter postage may contain dutiable articles, in the event
that the importation of such articles in the form of letters is permitted by the
country of destination.
These articles should bear, on the address side, a label conforming to the
requirements of the Regulations.
The Administrations of destination are authorized to turn such articles
over to the customs service, open them officially and collect the import duties
in the manner prescribed by their legislation.
ARTICLE 35
Prepayment
Articles other than letters and post cards shall be entirely prepaid.
Reply post cards on both halves of which the postage is not fully prepaid
at the time of mailing shall not be dispatched.

458 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
ARTICLE 36
Charge in Case of Absence or Insufficiency of Prepayment
In case of absence or insufficiency of prepayment, and with the exceptions
provided by Article 39 of the Regulations for certain classes of reforwarded
mail, articles of correspondence of all classes are subject, at the expense of
the addressees, to a charge double the amount of the deficient postage or the
insufficiency; but that charge shall not be lower than 10 centimes.
ARTICLE 37
Correspondence Outside of the Union
1. The rates for correspondence addressed to countries outside of the
Union must not be lower than the normal Union rates.
2. Correspondence originating in countries outside of the Union which is
delivered to a Union country unprepaid or insufficiently prepaid is charged
with the amount of the deficient postage by the delivering Administration in
accordance with the rules applicable in its own service to similar articles
addressed to the countries from which the said correspondence comes.
ARTICLE 38
Surtaxes
There may be collected, in addition to the rates fixed by Articles 34 and 37,
for every article transported by services maintained by Administrations for­
eign to the Union, or by extraordinary services within the Union giving rise
to special expenses, a surtax proportionate to those expenses.
When the rate of prepayment of the single post card includes the surtax
authorized by the preceding paragraph, the same rate is applicable to each
half of the reply-paid post card.
ARTICLE 39
Special Charges
1. The Administrations are authorized to charge late fees in accordance
with the provisions of their own legislation for articles mailed in their services
for dispatch at the last moment.
2. Countries of destination which are authorized by their own legislation
to deliver articles liable to customs duty may collect a charge of 50 centimes
at most per piece for customs service.
3. Countries of destination are authorized to collect a special charge in
accordance with their own legislation on articles addressed to general delivery.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 459
ARTICLE 40
Special Delivery Articles
1. Articles of correspondence are, at the request of the senders, delivered
to the addressee by special messenger immediately after their arrival in coun­
tries whose Administrations undertake that service in their reciprocal relations.
2. Such articles, known as "special delivery articles," are subject, besides
the regular postage, to a special charge the minimum of which shall be double
the postage on an ordinary letter and the maximum 1 franc. This postage
must be completely prepaid by the sender.
3. In the event that the addressee's residence is situated outside of the free
delivery zone of the office of destination, delivery by special messenger may
give rise to the collection of supplementary postage corresponding to that
collected in the domestic service.
Special delivery is not obligatory in such cases.
4. Special delivery articles upon which the total amount of the charges
payable in advance has not been prepaid are delivered by the ordinary
means, unless they have been treated as special delivery articles by the office
of origin.
ARTICLE 41
Prohibitions
1. It is forbidden to send by mail:
(a) Articles which, by their nature or wrapping, may expose postal em-
ployees to danger, or soil or damage the mails.
(b) Explosive, inflammable, or dangerous substances.
(c ) Live animals, with the exception of bees and silkworms.
(d) Articles liable to customs duty, including samples of merchandise
sent in quantities with a view to avoiding the payment of duty; subject,
however, to the provisions of Article 34, Section 9.
(e ) Opium, morphine, cocaine, and other narcotics.
(I) Obscene or immoral articles.
(g) Any articles whatever whose circulation is prohibited in the country
of origin or that of destination.
It is also forbidden ,to send in the unregistered mails coins, bank notes,
paper money, articles of gold or silver, precious stones, jewelry, and other
precious articles.
2. Articles which have been wrongly admitted to the mails must be re·
turned to the country of origin, except in' cases where the Administration
of the country of destination is authorized by its legislation or domestic
regulations to dispose of them otherwise.
However, explosive, inflammable, or dangerous substances, and obscene
or immoral articles, are not returned to the country of origin; they are

460 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
destroyed on the spot by the services of the Administration which has detected
their presence.
In cases where articles wrongly accepted for mailing are neither returned
to the country of origin nor delivered to the addressee, the dispatching
Administration should be informed so that it may take the necessary
measures.
3. The right is, moreover, reserved for every country of the Union to
refuse to convey in transit in open mail over its territory or to deliver articles
admitted at reduced rates in regard to which the laws, ordinances, or decrees
regulating the conditions of their publication or circulation or in that country
have not been observed.
These articles should be returned to the country of origin.
ARTICLE 42
Forms of prepayment
1. Prepayment is effected either by means of postage stamps valid in the
country of origin for the correspondence of private individuals or by means
of impressions of stamping machines, officially adopted and operating under
the immediate control of the Administration.
2. The following are considered as duly prepaid: Reply post cards bearing
printed or adhesive postage stamps of the country of issue of the cards;
articles regularly prepaid for their first transmission and on which the addi­
tional postage has been paid before their redirection; as well as newspapers
or packages of newspapers and periodicals whose address bears the words
"abonnement-poste" (subscription by mail) or an equivalent notation sent
under the Agreement concerning subscriptions to newspapers and
periodicals.
3. Correspondence mailed on the high seas, in the box on board ship, or
handed to postal agents on board or to the commanders of ships, may be
prepaid, barring contrary agreement between the Administrations concerned,
by means of the postage stamps and according to the postage rates of the
country to which the said vessel belongs or by which it is maintained. If the
mailing on board takes place during the stay at one of the two terminal
points of the voyage or at one of the ports of call, the prepayment is valid
only if it is effected by means of the postage stamps and according to the
postage rates of the' country in whose waters the vessel is stationed.
ARTICLE 43
Franking privilege
1. Correspondence relating to the postal service exchanged between the
Postal Administrations, between those Administrations and the International
Bureau, between the post offices of countries of the Union, and between

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 461
those offices and the Administrations, as well as that for which the franking
privilege is expressly provided by the provisions of the Convention and
Agreements and their Regulations, is admitted free of postage.
2. Correspondence (except collect on delivery articles) addressed to pris­
oners of war or mailed by them is likewise free of all postal charges, not only
in the countries of origin and destination but also in the intermediary
countries.
The same is true of correspondence concerning prisoners of war, sent or
received either direct or as intermediary by the information offices which
may be established on behalf of such persons in belligerent countries or in
neutral countries which have received belligerents on their territory.
Belligerents received and interned in a neutral country are assimilated
to prisoners of war properly so called insofar as concerns the application of
the above provisions.
ARTICLE 44
Reply coupons
Reply coupons are placed on sale in the countries of the Union.
The selling price is determined by the interested Administrations, but may
not be less than 40 gold centimes or the equivalent of that sum in the money
of the issuing country.
Each coupon is exchangeable in any country of the Union for a postage
stamp or postage stamps representing the postage on a single-rate letter
originating in that country and addressed to a foreign country. However,
the exchange must be made before the expiration of the sixth month follow­
ing that of issue.
Moreover, the right is reserved for each country to require that the articles
of correspondence for the prepayment of which the reply coupons are ex­
changed be mailed at the time of presentation of the coupons.
ARTICLE 45
Withdrawal. Change of address
1. The sender of an article of correspondence may cause it to be with­
drawn from the mails or have its address changed, provided that such article
has not been delivered to the addressee.
2. The request to be made to that effect is sent by mail or by telegraph
at the expense of the sender, who must pay, for every request by mail, the
charge applicable to a single-rate registered letter; and, for every request by
telegraph, the charge for a telegram, increased by the postage charge in case
of change of address.

462 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
ARTICLE 46
Forwarding. Undelivered correspondence
1. The forwarding of articles of correspondence within the Union does
not give rise to the collection of any additional charge, with the exceptions
provided by the Regulations.
The same applies to the return to the sender of undelivered correspondence.
2. Forwarded or returned articles of correspondence are delivered to the
addressees or senders upon payment of the charges due on them on departure,
on arrival or in the course of transmission, as a result of redirection beyond
the first transmission.
3. Correspondence which is undeliverable for any reason whatsoever must
be returned immediately to the country of origin.
The period of retention of correspondence held at the disposal of the
addressees or addressed "general delivery" is governed by the laws of the
country of destination. However, such period may not exceed six months
in relations with oversea countries and two months in other relations. The
return to the country of origin must take place within a shorter period, if
the sender has so requested by a notation in the address in a language known
in the country of destination.
4. Prints without value are not returned, unless the sender, by a notation
on the outside of the article, requests the return.
5. The "general delivery" charge provided by Article 39 does not follow
the article in case of redirection or return as undeliverable.
6. The additional charge stipulated by Article 40, Section 3, remains
collectible in case of redirection or return as undeliverable of a special
delivery article.
ARTICLE 47
Inquiries
1. An inquiry as to the disposal made of any article may give rise to the
collection of a fee fixed at 1 franc maximum.
As for registered articles, no fee is collected if the sender has already paid
the special fee for a return receipt.
2. Inquiries are admitted only within the period of one year, counting
from the day following that of mailing.
CHAPTER II
REGISTERED ARTICLES
ARTICLE 48
Charges
1. The articles of correspondence designated in Article 33 may be sent
under registration.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 463
However, the reply halves of post cards may not be registered by the
original senders of such articles.
2. The postage for all registered articles shall be paid in advance. It
consistsof :
(a) The ordinary cost of prepayment of the article, according to its
nature.
(b) A fixed registration fee of 40 centimes maximum.
3. A receipt shall be delivered without charge to the sender of a registered
article at the time of mailing.
4. The countries disposed to undertake risks which may arise from cases
of force majeure (causes beyond control) are authorized to collect a special
charge of 40 centimes at most for each registered article.
ARTICLE 49
Return receipts
The sender of a registered article may obtain a return receipt by paying,
at the time of mailing, a fixed charge of 40 centimes at most.
The return receipt may be requested after mailing the article, within
the period fixed by Article 47 for inquiries, and by means of the payment of a
fee which must not exceed double that provided by the preceding paragraph.
ARTICLE 50
Extent of responsibility
With the exceptions provided in the following Article, the Administrations
are responsible for the lossof registered articles.
The sender is entitled, under that head, to an indemnity, the amount of
which is fixed at 50 francs for each article.
If he has paid the fee for an inquiry, and if such inquiry was rendered
necessary by a fault of the service, that fee is likewise returned to him.
ARTICLE 51
Exceptions to the principle of responsibility
The Administrations are released from all responsibility for the loss of
registered articles:
(a) In case of force majeure; however, the responsibility is maintained
in regard to an Administration of origin which has undertaken to cover the
risksof force majeure (Article 48, Section 4) ;
(b) When they cannot account for the articles as a result of the destruc­
tion of the records of the service resulting from a case of force majeure;
(c) When it is a question of articles whose contents fall within the scope
of the prohibitions provided by Article 41, Section 1;

464 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
(d) When the sender has not made any application within the period
contemplated by Article 47.
ARTICLE 52
Termination of responsibility
The Administrations cease to be responsible for registered articles the
delivery of which they have effected under the conditions prescribed by
their domestic regulations.
For articles addressed to general delivery or held at the disposal of thr
addressees, responsibility ceases upon delivery to a person who has proved
his identity in accordance with the rules in force in the country of destination,
whose names and description are in conformity with the indications of the
address.
ARTICLE 53
Payment of indemnity
The obligation of paying indemnity falls upon the Administration to which
the office of origin of the article belongs, with the reservation of its right to
make a claim against the responsible Administration.
ARTICLE 54
Period for payment
1. The payment of the indemnity must take place as soon as possible, and,
at the latest, within the period of six months, counting from the day fol­
lowing the date of the inquiry (application). That period is extended to
nine months in relations with oversea countries.
2. The Administration of origin is authorized to settle with the sender on
account of the Administration of intermediation or of destination which, duly
advised of the application, has let six months pass without settling the matter;
that period is extended to nine months in relations with oversea countries.
The dispatching Administration may exceptionally postpone the settle­
ment of the indemnity beyond the period provided by the preceding Section
when the question of knowing whether the loss of the article was due to a
case of force majeure has not yet been settled.
ARTICLE 55
Fixing of Responsibility
1. Until the contrary is proved, the responsibility for the loss of a registered
article falls on the Administration which, having received the article without
making any observations, and, being put in possession of all the particulars
of inquiry prescribed by regulations, can not establish either delivery to the
addressee or regular transmission to the next Administration if any.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 465
If the loss has taken place in the course of conveyance and it is impossible
to establish on the territory or in the service of which country the lossoccurred
the Administrations concerned bear the loss in equal shares. However, the
whole of the indemnity due must be turned over to the Administration of
origin by the first Administration which can not establish the regular trans­
mission of the article in question to the corresponding service. It is incumbent
upon the latter Administration to recover from the other responsible Admin­
istrations the share of each of them in the indemnity paid to the sender.
2. When a registered article has been lost under circumstances of force
majeure, the Administration on whose territory or in whose service the loss
took place is not responsible to the dispatching Administration unless both
countries undertake risksarising from cases of force majeure.
3. By the fact of the payment of the indemnity, the responsible Adminis­
tration is subrogated up to the amount of that indemnity in the rights of the
person who has received it for all eventual recourse against the addressee,
the sender, or a third person.
ARTICLE 56
Repayment of the Indemnity to the Administration of Origin
The Administration which is responsible, or on whose account the pay­
ment is made in accordance with Article 54, is bound to reimburse the dis­
patching Administration for the amount of the indemnity within a period
of three months following notification of the payment.
That reimbursement is made without expense for the creditor Administra­
tion by means of either a money order or a draft or in money valid in the
creditor country. At the expiration of the period of three months the sum
due to the dispatching Administration bears interest at the rate of 7 percent
per annum, counting from the date of expiration of the said period.
The Administration whose responsibility is duly established and which
has at first declined to pay the indemnity must bear all the additional expenses
resulting from the unjustified delay in making the payment.
However, the Administrations may agree among themselves to settle pe­
riodically the indemnities which they have paid to the senders and the justness
of which they have recognized.
ARTICLE 57
Responsibility for Registered Articles Outside of the Limits of the Union
Responsibility for registered articles addressed to or coming from countries
foreign to the Union or passing in transit through such countries is governed
by the following provisions:
(a) For the conveyance within the jurisdiction of the Union, in accord­
ance with the provisions of the Convention;

466 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
(b) For conveyance outside of the limits of the Union, in accordance
with the conditions made known by the Administration of the Union which
serves as intermediary.
CHAPTER III
COLLECT ON DELIVERY ARTICLES
ARTICLE 58
Rates and Conditions. Settlement
1. Registered articles may be sent collect on delivery in relations between
countries whose Administrations agree to conduct that service.
Barring contrary agreement, the amount to be collected is expressed in the
money of the country of origin of the article.
The maximum C.O.D. charge is equal to the maximum amount fixed for
money orders addressed to the country of origin of the article.
Collect on delivery articles are subject to the formalities and rates appli­
cable to registered articles.
The sender also pays a fixed charge, which may not be lower than 20
centimes nor higher than 50 centimes, and a proportional fee of ~ percent
of the amount of the C.O.D. charge. The Administration of origin has the
option of rounding off those charges, in accordance with the conveniences
of its monetary system.
2. The amount collected from the addressee is transmitted to the sender
by means of a C.O.D. money order, which is issued free of charge.
The Administrations may agree upon another procedure for the settlement
of the sums collected. They may, in particular, undertake, under conditions
to be agreed upon, to turn them over to a postal account-current in the coun­
try of destination of the article.
ARTICLE 59
Cancellation of the Amount To Be Collected
The sender of a registered C.O.D. article may request total or partial can­
cellation of the amount to be collected.
Requests of this nature are subject to the same provisions as requests
for withdrawal or change of address (Article 45 ).
ARTICLE 60
Responsibility in Case of Loss of Articles
The loss of a registered C.O.D. article involves the responsibility of the
postal service under the conditions laid down by Articles 50 and 51.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 467
ARTICLE 61
Guarantee of Sums Regularly Collected
The sums regularly collected from the addressee, whether or not they
have been converted into money orders or turned over to a postal account­
current are guaranteed to the sender, under the conditions laid down by the
Agreement concerning Money Orders, or by the provisions governing the
Postal Check service.
ARTICLE 62
Indemnity in Case of Noncollection, Insufficient Collection
or Fraudulent Collection
1. If the article has been delivered to the addressee without collecting
the amount indicated, the sender is entitled to indemnity, provided that an
application has been made within the the period provided by Article 47,
Section 2, and unless the noncollection is due to fault or negligence on his
part, or unless the contents of the article come under the prohibitions con­
templated in Article 41.
The same applies if the sum collected from the addressee is less than the
amount indicated, or if the collection has been fraudulently made.
In any case the indemnity may not exceed the amount to be collected
on delivery.
2. By the fact of the payment of the indemnity, the responsible Adminis­
tration is subrogated in the rights of the sender for all eventual recourse
against the addressee or third parties.
ARTICLE 63
Sums Regularly Collected. Indemnity. Payment and Recourse
The obligation of paying the amounts regularly collected, as well as the
indemnity referred to in the preceding Article, falls upon the Administra­
tion to which the office of origin of the article belongs, with the reservation
of its right to recourse against the responsible Administration.
ARTICLE 64
Period for Payment
The provisions of Article 54 concerning the periods for payment of in­
demnity for the loss of a registered article are applied to the payment of
the sums collected or the indemnity for C.O.D. articles.
ARTICLE 65
Fixing of Responsibility
The payment by the dispatching Administration of sums regularly col­
lected, as well as of the indemnity provided for by Article 62, is made for

468 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
the account of the Administration of destination. The latter is responsible,
unless it can prove that the fault is due to the failure of the dispatching
Administration to observe a provision of the Regulations.
In the case of fraudulent collection as a result of the disappearance in
the service of a C.O.D. article, the responsibility of the Administrations in­
volved is determined in accordance with the rules provided in Article 55
for the loss of registered articles in general.
ARTICLE 66
Reimbursement of Sums Advanced
The Administration of destination is bound to reimburse the Administra­
tion of origin, under the conditions provided by Article 56, for the sums
which have been advanced on its account.
ARTICLE 67
C.O.D. Money Orders
The amount of a C.O.D. money order which, for any reason, has not been
paid to the payee, is not repaid to the Administration of issue. It is held at the
disposal of the payee by the Administration of origin of the C.O.D. article,
and finally reverts to that Administration, after the expiration of the period
prescribed by law. .
In all other respects, and with the reservations provided by the Regulations,
C.O.D. money orders are subject to the provisions fixed by the Agreement
concerning Money Orders.
ARTICLE 68
Sharing of C.O.D. Charges and Fees
The charges fixed in the last paragraph of Section 1 of Article 58 are
divided equally between the Administration of origin and that of the country
of destination, under the conditions prescribed by the Regulations.
In the event that two Administrations do not collect a fixed charge for
collect on delivery service of the same amount, the pro-rata share to be paid
to the corresponding Administration is calculated on the basis of the lower
rate.
CHAPTER IV
RETENTION OF POSTAGE. TRANSIT AND WAREHOUSING CHARGES
ARTICLE 69
Retention of postage
Except in cases expressly provided for by the Convention, each Administra­
tion retains the whole of the sums which it has collected.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924
ARTICLE 70
469
Transit Charges
1. Correspondence exchanged in closed mails between two Administra­
tions of the Union, by means of the services of one or several other Admin­
istrations (third services) , is subject to the payment, to each of the countries
traversed or whose services participate in the conveyance, of the transit
charges indicated in the following table:
Per kilogram
Of letters Of other
and post articles
cards
1°. Territorial transit:
Up to 1,000 km .
From 1,000 to 2,000 km .
From 2,000 to 3,000 km .
From 3,000 to 6,000 km .
From 6,000 to 9,000 km .
Over 9,000 km .
2°. Maritime transit:
Up to 300 nautical miles .
From 300 to 1,500 nautical miles .
Between Europe and North America .
From 1,500 to 6,000 nautical miles .
Over 6,000 nautical miles .
Fr. C.
O. 75
I. 00
I. 50
2.50
3.50
4. 50
.75
2.00
3.00
4.00
6.00
Fr. C.
O. 10
.15
.20
.30
.40
.50
.10
.25
.40
.50
.75
2. The transit charges for maritime service on a route not exceeding 300
nautical miles are fixed at one-third the sums provided by the preceding Sec­
tion, if the Administration concerned already receives, on account of the mails
conveyed, compensation for territorial transit.
3. In the case of maritime transit effected by two or more Administrations,
the total transit charges may not exceed 6 francs per kilogram of letters and
post cards and 0.75 francs per kilogram of other articles. When the totals of
such charges exceed 6 francs and 0.75 francs respectively, they are divided
among the Administrations participating in the transportation in proportion
to the distances traversed, without prejudice to different agreements which
may be made between the parties concerned.
4. Barring contrary agreement, maritime conveyances effected directly be­
tween two countries, by means of ships belonging to one of them, as well as
conveyances effected between two offices of the same country through the
intermediary of services belonging to another country, are considered as third
services.

470 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
5. Correspondence exchanged in open mail between two Administrations
of the Union is subject, without regard to weight or destination, to the
following transit charges, namely:
Letters. . . 6 centimes each
Post cards. . . . . . . . . 2Y2 centimes each
Other articles . . . . . . . 2Y2 centimes each
However, the Administrations are authorized to consider as closed mails
articles sent in open mail which exceed the weight of 250 grams.
6. Newspapers or packets of newspapers and periodicals sent under the
Agreement concerning Subscriptions to Newspapers and Periodicals, as well
as boxes with declared value sent under the Agreement concerning Letters
and Boxes with Declared Value, are considered as other articles in regard
to transit charges.
7. An Administration is authorized to submit to the deliberation of a Com­
mission of arbiters the results of statistics which, in its opinion, differ too
greatly from reality. Such arbitration is effected in accordance with the provi­
sions of Article 10.
ARTICLE 71
Warehousing Charges
The warehousing in a port of closed mails brought by one steamship and
intended to be taken up again by another steamship gives rise to the payment
of a charge fixed at 50 centimes per sack to the profit of the Administration
to which the place of warehousing belongs, unless that Administration al­
ready receives payment for territorial or maritime transit.
ARTICLE 72
Freedom From Transit Charges
The following are exempt from all maritime or territorial transit charges:
The correspondence sent free of postage mentioned in Article 43; reply post
cards returned to the country of origin; redirected articles; undeliverable
articles; return receipts; money orders and all other documents relative to the
Postal Service, especially the correspondence relative to postal checks.
Missent dispatches are considered, insofar as the payment of transit and
warehousing charges is concerned, as though they had followed their normal
route.
ARTICLE 73
Extraordinary Services
The transit charges specified under Article 70 do not apply to transit with­
in the Union by means of extraordinary services specially created or main­
tained by one Administration at the request of one or more other Admin­
istrations. The conditions for this class of conveyance are fixed from time to
time among the Administrations concerned.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 471
ARTICLE 74
Airplane Service
1. The transit charges provided by Article 70 are not applicable to the
airplane services established for the transportation of correspondence between
two or more countries.
2. The transit charges relative to each trip made by the airplane are
uniform for all the Administrations which make use of them without par­
ticipating in the operating expenses.
3. The Postal Administrations of the countries served directly by airplane
services determine, by agreement with the Companies concerned, the transit
charges for the mails loaded at landing fields on their respective territories
for the trips made by means of the planes of those companies. However, each
Administration which controls an airplane service reserves the right to collect
direct from each Administration which makes use of it the transit charges
for the entire trip by that service.
4. The transfer en route of the mails which successivelyuse several separate
airplane services must be effected through the intermediary of the Postal
Administration of the country in which the transfer takes place. This rule
is not applicable when such transfer takes place between airplanes performing
the successive sections of one and the same service.
If the dispatches must be stored before their reforwarding by another air­
plane service, the interested Postal Administration is entitled to warehousing
charges under the conditions provided by Article 71.
In addition to those eventual warehousing charges, the Administrations
of the countries traversed have no right to any compensation for the mails
carried by airplane over their territories.
ARTICLE 75
Payments and Accounts
1. The transit and warehousing charges are borne by the Administration
of the country of origin.
2. The general accounting for such charges is based upon statistics taken
once every five years, during a period of 28 days, to be determined in the
Regulations.
3. When the annual balance of the accounts of transit and warehousing
charges between two Administrations does not exceed 1,000 francs, the debtor
Administration is relieved of all payment on that account.
ARTICLE 76
Transit Charges in Relations With Countries Foreign to the Union
1. The Administrations whic!). have relations with countries situated out­
side the Union must lend their assistance to all the other Administrations of

472 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
the Union in order that the mails maybe subject, outside of the Union, as
within its limits, to the transit charges fixed by Article 70.
2. The total maritime transit charges within the Union and outside of the
Union must not, however, exceed 15 francs per kilogram of letters and post
cards and 1 franc per kilogram of other articles. In such cases, those charges
are shared among the Administrations participating in the conveyance in
proportion to the distances.
3. The transit charges, territorial or maritime, outside of the limits of the
Union as well as within the territory of the Union, for correspondence to
which the present Article applies, are fixed in the same way as the transit
charges relating to correspondence exchanged between Union countries by
means of the services of other countries of the Union.
ARTICLE 77
Exchange of Closed Mails With Warships
1. Closed mails may be exchanged between the post officesof anyone of
the contracting countries and the commanding officers of naval divisions or
warships of the same country stationed abroad or between the commanding
officer of another division or ship of the same country, through the intermedi­
ary of land or sea services maintained by other countries.
2. Correspondence of all kinds contained in such mails shall consist only
of such as is addressed to or sent by the officers and crews of the ships to or
from which the mails are sent; the rates and conditions of dispatch applicable
to them are determined, according to its domestic regulations, by the Postal
Administration of the country to which the ships belong.
3. Barring contrary agreement between the Administrations concerned,
the dispatching or receiving Administration of the mails in question is
indebted to the intermediary Administrations for transit charges calculated
in accordance with the provisions of Article 70.
VARIOUS PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 78
Failure To Observe Liberty Transit
When a country does not observe the provisions of Article 25 concerning
liberty of transit, the Administrations have the right to discontinue postal
service with it. They must give advance notice of that measure by telegram to
the Administrations concerned.
ARTICLE 79
Obligations
The contracting countries undertake to adopt, or to propose to their
respective legislative bodies, the necessary measures:

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 473
(a ) For punishing both the counterfeiting and the fraudulent use of inter­
national reply coupons and the fraudulent use, for the prepayment of mail
articles, of counterfeit or used postage stamps, as well as of counterfeit or used
impressions of stamping machines;
(b) For prohibiting or repressing the fraudulent manufacture, sale,
peddling, or distribution of embossed or adhesive stamps in use in the postal
service which are counterfeited or imitated in such a way that they might be
mistaken for the embossed or adhesive stamps issued by the Administration
of one of the contracting countries;
(c) For punishing the fraudulent manufacture or circulating of postal
identity cards, as well as the fraudulent use of such cards;
(d) For preventing, and, if necessary, punishing the insertion of opium,
morphine, cocaine and other narcotics in the mail articles in favor of which
such insertion is not expressly authorized by the Convention and Agreements
of the Union.
FINAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 80
Effective Date and Duration of the Convention
The present Convention shall become effective on October 1, 1925, and
shall remain effective indefinitely.
In faith of which, the Plenipotentiaries of the countries enumerated below
have signed the present Convention in one copy, which shall be filed in the
Archives of the Government of Sweden, and one copy of which shall be
delivered to each Party.
Done at Stockholm, August 28, 1924.
For the Union of South Africa:
For E. A. Sturman:
D. J. O'KELLY
D. J. O'KELLY
For Albania:
DAVID BJURSTROM
For Germany:
W. SCHENK
K. ORTH
For the United States of America:
JOSEPH STEWART
EUGENE R. WHITE
EDWIN SANDS
For the whole of the insular possessions
of the United States of America
other than the Philippine Islands:
JOSEPH STEWART
EUGENE R. WHITE
EDWIN SANDS
210-916--69----31
For the Philippine Islands:
JUAN RUIZ
For the Argentine Republic:
M. RODRIGUEZ OCAMPO
For the Commonwealth of Australia:
For Austria:
JULIUS JUHLIN
GUSTAF KIHLMARK
GUNNAR LAGER
THORE WENNQVIST
For Belgium:
A. PIRARD
HUB. KRAINS
O. SCHOCKAERT
For the Colony of the Belgian Congo:
M. HALEWYCK
G. TONDEUR

474 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
For Bolivia:
MTo. URRIOLAGOlTIA H
For Brazil:
A. DE ALMEIDA-BRANDAO
J. HENRIQUE ADERNE
For Bulgaria:
N. BOSCHNACOFF
ST. IVANOFF
For Canada:
PETER T. COOLICAN
For Chile:
CESAR LEON
L. TAGLE SALINAS
C. VERNEUIL
For China:
TAl TCH'ENNE LINNE
For the Republic of Colombia:
LUIS SERRANO-BLANCO
For the Republic of Costa Rica:
V. ANDERSSON
For the Republic of Cuba:
JosE D. MORALES DIAZ
CESAR CARVALLO
For Denmark:
C. MONDRUP
HOLMBLAD
For the Free City of Danzig:
DR. ALFRED WYSOCKI
DR. MAR] AN BLACHIER
For the Dominican Republic:
C. F. G. HAGSTROM
F·or Egypt:
H. MAZLOUM
E. MAGGIAR
W AHBE IBRAHIM
For Ecuador:
For Spain:
EL CONDE DE SAN ESTEBAN DE
CANONGO
JOSE MORENO PINEDA
A. CAMACHO
For the Spanish Colonies:
MARTIN VICENTE SALTO
For Esthonia:
EDWARD WIROO
For Ethiopia:
B. MARCOS
A. BOUSSON
For Finland:
G. E. F. ALBRECHT
For France:
M. LEBON
ROBERT HICGUET
A. BODY
DOUARCHE
G. BECHEL
For Algeria:
H. TREUILLE
For the French Colonies and Protector­
ates of Indochina:
ANDRE TOUZET
For the whole of the other French
Colonies:
G. PILLIAS
GINESTOU
For Great Britain and divers British
Colonies and Protectorates:
F. H. WILLIAMSON
E. L. ASHLEY FOAKES
W. G. GILBERT
For Greece:
PENTHEROUDAKIS
J. LACHNIDAKIS
For Guatemala:
For the Republic of Haiti:
CARL SCHLYTER
For the Republic of Honduras:
For Hungary:
O. DE FE]ER
G. BARON SZALAY
For British India:
GEOFFREY CLARKE
HEMANTA KUMAR RAHA
For the Irish Free State:
For P. S. O'Heigeartaigh:
P. S. MACCATHMHAOIL
P. S. MACCATHMHAOIL
D. O'HIARLATHA
For Iceland:
C. MONDRUP
HOLMBLAD
For Italy:
LUIGI PICARELLI
PAOLO RIELLO
GIOVANNI BARTOLI
For the whole of the Italian Colonies:
LUIGI PICARELLI
PAOLO RIELLO
GIOVANNI BARTOLI

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 475
For Japan:
S. KOMORI
H. KAWAI
H. MAKINO
For Korea:
S. KOMORI
R. TAKAHASHI
For the whole of the other Japanese De­
pendencies:
K. SUGINO
H. KAWAI
For Latvia:
ED. KADIKIS
LOUIS RUDANS
For the Republic of Liberia:
GUSTAF W. DE HORN DE RANTZIEN
For Lithuania:
I. JURKUNAS-SCHEYNIUS
ADOLFAS SRUOCA
For Luxemburg:
JAAQUES
For Morocco (with the exception of the
Spanish Zone) :
F. GENTIL
WALTER
For Morocco (Spanish Zone) :
EL CONDE DE SAN ESTEBAN DE
CANONGO
JOSE MORENO PINEDA
A. CAMACHO
For Mexico:
R. NIETO
JOSE V. CHAvEz
For Nicaragua:
For Norway:
KLAus HELSING
OSKAR HOMME
For New Zealand:
A. T. MARKMAN
For the Republic of Panama:
JosE D. MORALES
CESAR CARVALLO
For Paraguay:
GUNNAR LANGBORG
For the Netherlands:
SCHREUDER
J. S. V. GELDER
J. M. LAMERS
For the Netherlands Indies:
I. J. MILBORN
For M. W. F. Gerdes Oos terbeek :
I. J. MILBORN
For the Netherlands Colonies in Amer­
ica:
I. J. MILBORN
For M. W. F. Gerdes Oosterbeek:
I. J. MILBORN
For Peru:
EMIL HECTOR
For Persia:
FAHIMED DOWLEH
E. PIRE
For Poland:
DR. ALFRED WYSOCKI
DR. MARJ AN BLACHIER
For Portugal:
HENRIQUE MOUSINHO D'ALBUQUER­
QUE
ADALBERTO DA COSTA VEIGA
For the Portuguese Colonies of Africa:
JUVENAL ELvAs FLORIADO SANTA
BARBARA
For the Portuguese Colonies of Asia and
Oceania:
JOAQUIM PIRES FERREIRA CHAVES
For Rumania:
GEORGE LECCA
For the Republic of San Marino:
PERCIVAL KALLING
For El Salvador:
For the Territory of the Saar:
P. COURTILET
For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats
and Slovenes:
DRAGUTIN DIMITRIJEVIC
SAVA TUTUNDZIC
MILOS KOVACEVIC
STOJSA KRBAVAC
For the Kingdom of Siam:
PHYA SANPAKITCH PREECHA
For Sweden:
JULIUS JUHLIN
GUSTAF KIHLMARK
GUNNAR LAGER
THORE WENNQVIST
For Switzerland:
P. DUBOIS
C. ROCHES
For Czechoslovakia:
JUDR OTOKAR RUZICKA
JOSEPH ZABRODSKY
For Tunisia:
F. GENTIL
BARBARAT

476 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
For Turkey:
For Mehmed Sabry:
BEHA TALY
BEHA TALY
For the Union of Soviet Socialist Re-
publics:
V. OSSINSKY
V. DOVGOLEVSKI
E. HIRSCHFELD
E. SYREVITCH
KATISS
V. TCHITCHINADSE
For Uruguay:
ADOLFO AOORIO
For the United States of Venezuela:
LUIS ALEJANDRO AGUILAR
FINAL PROTOCOL OF THE CONVENTION
At the moment of signing the Universal Postal Convention concluded on
the present date, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have agreed as follows:
I
Withdrawal of correspondence
The provisions of Article 45 of the Convention do not apply to Great
Britain, or to the British dominions, colonies, and protectorates, whose domes­
tic legislation does not permit the withdrawal of correspondence upon the
request of the sender.
II
Equivalents, maximum and minimum limits
1. Each country has the option of increasing by as much as 60 per cen~,
or of decreasing by 20 per cent, the postage rates fixed by Article 34, Section
1, in accordance with the following table:
Mini­
mum
limits
Maxi­
mum
limits
Letters:
First unit .
Each additional unit. .
Post cards:
Single .
Reply .
Prints, for each 50 grams .
Prints in relief for the blind, for each 1,000 grams .
Commercial papers, for each 50 grams .
.,. Minimum rate .
Sampl.es? for each 50 grams .
Muumum rate .
Gold Gold
centimes centimes
20 40
12 24
12 24
24 48
4 8
4 8
4 8
20 ..........
4 8
8 . .........

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 477
The rates chosen shall, as far as possible, be in the same proportion as
the basic rates, each Administration having the option of rounding off the
rates to suit the conveniences of its own monetary system.
2. It is permissible for each country to reduce the postage on single post
cards to 10 centimes, and that on reply post cards to 20 centimes.
3. The print rate may, by exception, be reduced to 3 centimes per unit
of 50 grams.
4. -It is permissible for each country to fix, at its option, the amount of
indemnity to be paid to its inhabitants under Article 50.
However, the adjustment of accounts between the interested Administra­
tions shall be effected on the basis of the amount of 50 francs.
5. The rates of postage adopted by a country are applicable to the charges
to be collected upon arrival as a result of absence or insufficiency of
prepayment.
III
Option of Requiring Prepayment
When a country allows its postage rate to fall below 20 centimes for the
first unit of weight of letters, and below the proportional amount for post
cards and other articles, the other countries are authorized to apply obliga­
tory prepayment in regard to it, and may distribute, without collecting the
postage due, the short-paid or unprepaid correspondence originating in that
country. It is understood that the latter country also has the right to prescribe
obligatory prepayment.
The option is also reserved for each country of not admitting post cards
in relations with another country when the difference between the rates in
the two countries is such that the use of the cards in question may give rise
to abuses on the part of the public.
IV
Mailing of Correspondence in Another Country
Each country is authorized to take all the measures deemed appropriate
to prevent correspondence originating on its territory from being transported
across the border to be mailed in another country. In particular, it has the
right to charge with its domestic postage or to return to origin articles which
persons or firms located in that country mail or cause to be mailed in another
country in order to profit by lower rates, addressed to persons or firms of the
interior of that same country. The means of collecting the charges are left
to the choice of that country.
V
Avoirdupois Ounce
It is admitted, as an exceptional measure, that the countries which, on
account of their domestic legislation, can not adopt the decimal metric system

478 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
as a standard, have the option of substituting for it the avoirdupois ounce
(28.3465 grams) by assimilating 1 ounce to 20 grams for letters and 2 ounces
to 50 grams for prints, commercial papers, and samples.
VI
Reply Coupons
The Administrations have the option of not undertaking the sale of reply
coupons.
They are authorized to restrict the number of reply coupons to be sold
to or exchanged by the same person in one day.
In such a case, they advise the International Bureau of their decision,
which Bureau communicates it to the Administrations of the Union.
The Postal Administrations of Persia and Uruguay have the option of
not undertaking the service of exchanging reply coupons, temporarily.
VII
Registration Fee
The countries which can not fix at 40 centimes the registration fee contem­
plated by Article 48, Section 2, of the Convention, are, however, authorized
to collect a fee which may amount to as much as 50 centimes at most.
VIII
Warehousing Charges
Exceptionally, the Portuguese Administration is authorized to collect, for
all mails transferred at the port of Lisbon, the warehousing charges provided
by Article 71.
IX
Protocol Lett Open to the Countries Not Represented
Ecuador, Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, Nicaragua, and EI Salva­
dor, which form part of the Postal Union, not having been represented at
the Congress, the Protocol remains open to them in order that they may
adhere to the Convention and the Agreements concluded there, or merely
to one or another of them.
The Protocol also remains open for the same purpose to the Common­
wealth of Australia, whose delegate was obliged to be absent at the moment
of signing the Acts.
X
Protocol Lett Open to the Countries Represented tor Signatures
and Adhesions
The Protocol remains open in favor of the countries whose representatives
have to-day signed only the Convention or a certain number of the Agree-

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 479
ments drawn up by the Congress, for the purpose of permitting them to adhere
to the other Agreements signed on this date, or to one or another of them.
XI
Period for Notification of Adhesion of Countries Not Represented
The adhesions contemplated in Article IX above shall be communicated
to the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden by the respective Govern­
ments, through diplomatic channels, and by the latter to the countries of
the Union. The period which is allowed to them to make such notification will
expire on September 1, 1925.
XII
Research Committee
A Committee composed of representatives of 14 Administrations is in­
trusted with the task of investigating and studying ways and means for
simplifying and accelerating the labors of the Congresses.
The result of these investigations shall be submitted to the decision of the
Administrations early enough to permit of them being applied to the next
Congress.
With this end in view the said Committee is authorized to make what­
ever proposals it may consider suitable; and should they obtain a majority
of votes they will come into force.
The International Bureau will undertake the secretarial work of the
Committee thus formed, and its Director will take part in the deliberations.
In faith of which the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have drawn up the
present Protocol, which shall have the same force and validity as if the pro­
visions which it contains were inserted in the text of the Convention to which
it belongs, and they have signed it in a single copy which shall remain de­
posited in the Archives of the Government of Sweden and a copy thereof
shall be delivered to each Party.
Done at Stockholm, August 28, 1924.
For the Union of South Africa:
For E. A. Sturman:
D. J. O'KELLY
D. J. O'KELLY
For Albania:
DAVID BJURSTROM
For Germany:
W. SCHENK
K.ORTH
For the United States of America:
JOSEPH STEWART
EUGENE R. WHITE
EDWIN SANDS
For the whole of the insular possessions
of the United States of America
other than the Philippine Islands:
JOSEPH STEWART
EUGENE R. WHITE
EDWIN SANDS
For the Philippine Islands:
JUAN RUIz
For the Argentine Republic:
M. RODRIGUEZ OCAMPO
For the Commonwealth of Australia:

480 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
For Austria:
JULIUS JUHLIN
GUSTAFKIHLMARK
GUNNAR LAGER
THORE WENNQVIST
For Belgium:
A. PIRARD
HUB.KRAINS
O. SCHOCKAERT
For the Colony of the Belgian Congo:
M. HALEWYCK
G.TONDEUR
For Bolivia:
MTO. URRIOLAGOITIAH
For Brazil:
A. DE AL'MEIDA-BRANDAO
J. HENRIQUEADERNE
For Bulgaria:
N. BOSCHNACOFF
ST. IVANOFF
For Canada:
PETER T. COOLICAN
For Chile:
CESAR LEON
L. TAGLE SALINAS
C. VERNEUIL
For China:
TAl TCH'ENNE LINNE
For the Republic of Colombia:
LUIS SERRANO-BLANCO
For the Republic of Costa Rica:
V. ANDERSSON
For the Republic of Cuba:
JOSE D. MORALESDIAZ
CESARCARVALLO
For Denmark:
C. MONDRUP
HOLMBLAD
For the Free City of Danzig:
DR. ALFRED WYSOCKI
DR. MARJAN BLACHIER
For the Dominican Republic:
C. F. G. HAGSTROM
For Egypt:
H.MAZLOUM
E. MAGGIAR
WAHBE IBRAHIM
For Ecuador:
For Spain:
EL CONDE SAN ESTEBANDE CANONGO
JOSE MORENO PINEDA
A.CAMACHO
For the Spanish Colonies:
MARTIN VICENTE SALTO
For Esthonia:
EDWARD WIRGO
For Ethiopia:
B.MARCOS
A. BOUSSON
For Finland:
G. E. F. ALBRECHT
For France:
M. LEBON
ROBERT HICGUET
A.BODY
DOUARCHE
G.BECHEL
For Algeria:
H. TREUILLE
For the French Colonies and Protector­
ates of Indochina:
ANDRE TOUZET
For the whole of the other French
Colonies:
G. PILLIAS
GINESTOU
For Great Britain and divers British
Colonies and Protectorates:
F. H. WILLIAMSON
E. L. ASHLEYFOAKES
W. G. GILBERT
For Greece:
PENTHEROUDAKIS
J. LACHNIDAKIS
For Guatemala:
For the Republic of Haiti:
CARL SCHLYTER
For the Republic of Honduras:
For Hungary:
O. DE FEJEa
G. BARON SZALAY
For British India:
GEOFFREYCLARKE
HEMANTAKUMAR RAHA
For the Irish Free State:
For P. S. O'Heigeartaigh:
P. S. MACCATHMHAOIL
P. S. MACCATHMHAOIL
D.O'HIARLATHA
For Iceland:
C. MONDRUP
HOLMBLAD

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION-AUGUST 28, 1924 481
For Italy:
LUIGI PICARELLI
PAOLO RIELLO
GIOVANNI BARTOLI
For the whole of the Italian Colonies:
LUIGI PICARELLI
PAOLO RIELLO
GIOVANNI BARTOLI
For Japan:
S. KOMORI
H. KAWAI
H.MAKINO
For Korea:
S. KOMORI
R. TAKAHASHI
For the whole of the other Japanese De­
pendencies:
K. SUGINO
H.KAWAI
For Latvia:
ED. KADIKIS
LOUIS RUDANS
For the Republic of Liberia:
GUSTAF W. DE HORN DE RANTZlEN
For Lithuania:
I. JURKUNAS-SCHEYNIUS
ADOLFAS SRUOGA
For Luxemburg:
JAAQUES
For Morocco (with the exception of the
Spanish Zone) :
F. GENTIL
WALTER
For Morocco (Spanish Zone):
EL CONDE DE SAN ESTEBAN DE
CANANGO
JOSE MORENO PINEDA
A.CAMACHO
For Mexico:
R.NIETO
JOSE V. CHAVEZ
For Nicaragua:
For Norway:
KLAUS HELSING
OSKARHoMME
For New Zealand:
A. T. MARKMAN
For the Republic of Panama:
JosE D. MORALES
CESAR CARVALLO
For Paraguay:
GUNNAR LANGBORG
219-9116-69--32
For the Netherlands:
SCHREUDER
J. S. V. GELDER
J. M. LAMERS
For the Netherlands Indies:
I. J. MILBORN
For M. W. F. Gerdes Oosterbeek:
I. J. MILBORN
For the Netherlands Colonies in Amer­
ica:
I. J. MIL BORN
For M. W. F. Gerdes Oosterbeek:
I. J. MILBORN
For Peru:
EMIL HECTOR
For Persia:
FAHIMED DOWLEH
E. PIRE
For Poland:
DR. ALFRED WYSOCKI
DR. MAR] AN BLACHIER
For Portugal:
HENRIQUE MOUSINHO
D' ALBUQUERQUE
ADALBERTO DA COSTA VEIOA
For the Portuguese Colonies of Africa:
JUVENAL ELVAS FLORIADO SANTA
BARBARA
For the Portuguese Colonies of Asia and
Oceania:
JOAQUIM PIRES FERREIRA CHAVES
For Rumania:
GEORGE LECCA
For the Republic of San Marino:
PERC IVAL KALLING
For El Salvador:
For the Territory of the Saar:
P. COURTILET
For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats
and Slovenes:
DRAGUTIN DIMITRIJEVIC
SAVA TUTUNDZIC
MILOS KOVACEVIC
STOJSA KRBAVAC
For the Kingdom of Siam:
PHYA SANPAKITCH PREECHA
For Sweden:
JULIUS JUHLIN
GUSTAF KlHLMARK
GUNNAR LAGER
THORE WENNQVIST

482 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS 1918-1930
For Switzerland:
P. DUBOIS
C.ROCHES
For Czechoslovakia:
JUDR OTOKAR RUZICKA
JOSEPH ZABRODSKY
For Tunisia:
F. GENTIL
BARBARAT
For Turkey:
For Mehmed Sabry:
BEHA TALY
BEHA TALY
For the Union of Soviet Socialist Repub-
lies:
V.OSSINSKV
V. DOVGOLEVSKI
E. HIRSCHFELD
E. SVREVITCH
KATISS
V. TCHITCHINADSE
For Uruguay:
ADoLFO AGORIO
For the United States of Venezuela:
LUIS ALEJANDRO AGUILAR
[For text of regulations for execution of the convention, see 44 Stat. 2273.]