Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 5, 1898

[Untitled]

Department of State,
Washington, April 21, 1898.

Sir: You are instructed to notify the Government of the [Argentine Republic] that, as required by Article VI of the final protocol of the postal congress held at Washington in June last, the Government of the United States has received, through Dr. Hendrik Pieter Nicolaus Muller, the consul-general of the Orange Free State at the Hague and special commissioner of his Government for this purpose, the declaration of the adhesion of the Orange Free State to the Universal Postal Convention signed at Washington on June 15, 1897, as provided for in Article IV of the said final protocol.

The declaration is made with the understanding that:

(a) In the table inserted in Article IV of the Regulations of Execution mentioned sub numero 1, the equivalents shall be fixed for the Orange Free State as follows: At 2½ pence for 25 centimes; at 1 penny for 10 centimes; at one-half penny for 5 centimes.

(b) In paragraph 5 of Article XXXIV of the same regulations the Orange Free State shall be placed in the sixth class as regards its quota of the expenses of the International Bureau.

Respectfully yours,

John Sherman.

(To all United States legations abroad.)

[Circular.]

Department of State,
Washington, July 15, 1898.

Sir: You are instructed to notify the Government of [—————] that the convention and arrangements concluded on June 15, 1897, by the International Postal Congress held at Washington, have been ratified as follows:

• Belgium.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention coneernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’intervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques.
• Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le traffic postal international. Arrangement concernant l’intervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques.
• Great Britain.—Convention postale universelle.
• Independent State of the Kongo.—Convention postale universelle.
• India.—Convention postale universelle. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux.
• Mexico.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le traffic postal international.
• Netherlands (for the Kingdom alone).—Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant l’intervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques.
• Netherlands (for the Kingdom and the Colonies).—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant le service des colis postaux.
• Netherlands (for the Kingdom and the Dutch East Indies).—Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements.
• Switzerland.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention, concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le traffic postal international. Arrangement concernant Fintervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques.
• United States.—Convention postale universelle.

You are instructed to say at the same time that, following the procedure observed in the cases of the acts of the Vienna Postal Congress, the Government of the United States has not in view the real exchange of the ratifications of the conventions and arrangements of the Washington Congress; but that the instruments of ratifications will be kept in the archives of the Department of State and due notice of their receipt sent, as in the present instance, to each of the signatory States.

Respectfully, yours,

William R. Day.

(To all United States representatives abroad.)

Department of State,
Washington, September 29, 1898.

Sir: You are instructed to inform the Government of the [—————] that Mr. Wos y Gil, chargé d’affaires of the Dominican Republic in the United States, has, under date of September 26, 1898, and by the direction of his Government, formally notified the Government of the United States of the adhesion of the Dominican Republic to the Universal Postal Convention signed at Washington on June 15, 1897, as provided for in Article IV of the final protocol.

Respectfully yours,

Alvey A. Adee,
Acting Secretary.

(To all legations abroad. See Austria and Switzerland, record for difference in text.)

[Circular.]

Department of State,
Washington, October 1, 1898.

Sir: You are instructed to notify the Government of the [Argentine Republic] that the following instruments of ratification of the acts of the Washington Postal Congress have been deposited in this Department in addition to those mentioned in my predecessor’s unnumbered instruction to you of July 15 last:

• France and the French colonies.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes ayec valeur déclarée. Convention concernant l’échangé des colis postaux.
• France (alone).—Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de Poste. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le trafic postal international.
• France (for the regency of Tunis).—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et det boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le trafic postal international.
• Germany and the German protectorates.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déelarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’intervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux et publications périodiques.
• Siam.—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux.
• Sweden and Norway.— Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service des recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’intervention de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiqes.
• Venezuela.—Convention postale universelle. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement corcernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le trafic postal international.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.

(To all United States representatives abroad.)

Department of State,
Washington, December 17, 1898.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States.

Gentlemen: Referring to the Department’s unnumbered instruction of July 15 last, giving modifications of the deposit in its archives of certain instruments of ratification of the acts of the Washington Postal Congress, I have to inform you that, by a note dated the 13th instant, the British ambassador at Washington, under instructions from his Government, and to remove all uncertainty in the matter, advises the Government of the United States that the ministerial approval of Great Britain of the Postal Union Convention, the final protocol, and the detailed regulations signed at Washington on June 15, 1897, by the delegates from that country appointed to attend the Postal Union Congress held in this city, implies, in accordance with precedent, equal ministerial approval on behalf of those British colonies which the imperial post-office represents in the affairs of the union—that is to say, all the British colonies belonging to the union, except India, Canada, the Cape Colony, Natal, and the Australian colonies.

You will communicate this information to the government to which you are accredited.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.

Department of State,
Washington, December 22, 1898.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States.

Gentlemen: I have to advise you that the following instruments of ratification of the acts of the Washington Postal Congress have been deposited in this Department in addition to those mentioned in its instructions of July 15 and October 1 last:

• Denmark and the Danish colonies.—Convention postal universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant l’introduction de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques.
• Portugal and the Portuguese colonies—Convention postale universelle. Arrangement concernant l’échange des lettres et des boîtes, avec valeur déclarée. Arrangement concernant le service des mandats de poste. Convention concernant l’échange des colis postaux. Arrangement concernant le service de recouvrements. Arrangement concernant l’introduction des livrets d’identité dans le trafic postal international.

The Department is advised by the Portuguese minister at Washington that his Government is not at present in a position to ratify the “Arrangement concernant l’introduction de la poste dans les abonnements aux journaux et publications périodiques,” but that as soon as the Portuguese postal administration is able to comply with its requirements it will notify the central bureau at Berne.

The Department is also in receipt of a note from the minister of foreign affairs Ox Montenegro, dated November 17, 1898, whereby notice is given of the adhesion of the Government of that country to the principal convention and to the regulations for its execution.

You will communicate the substance of this instruction to the Government to which you are accredited.

I am, gentlemen, etc.,

David J. Hill,
Acting Secretary.

Department of State,
Washington, December 30, 1898.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States.

Gentlemen: I have to inform you that, in addition to the instruments of ratification of the acts of the Washington Postal Congress, notification of the deposit of which with the Government of the United States has heretofore been given, I have received through the minister of Korea at this capital the instruments of ratification by his Government of the principal convention, signed on June 15, 1897.

I am advised, however, by a telegram from the minister of the United States at Seoul that the Korean Government can not put the convention into execution for twelve months.

The Department has also received information through the diplomatic channel of the intention of the following Governments, whose instruments of ratification have not yet reached it, to put the convention into execution on January 1, 1899:

Argentine Republic, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, Greece, Haiti, Japan, New Zealand, Persia, Peru, Roumania, Russia, Servia, and the South African Republic.

The Governments of Colombia, Italy, and Guatemala report they will not be able to ratify the convention for a month or two.

You are instructed to communicate this information to the Government of which you are accredited.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.