AGREEMENT between the British and Argentine Post Offices for the Exchange of Parcels by Parcel Post. Signed at London, October 29, 1907, and at Buenos Ayres, September 1, 1908.*

THE Post Office of Great Britain and Ireland and the Post Office of the Argentine Republic agree to effect a regular exchange of parcels between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic on the basis of the Parcel Post Convention of Washington of the 15th of June, 1897.†

The following Regulations shall be generally applicable, not only to parcels exchanged direct between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic, but also to parcels sent in transit to or from one of the two countries through the other.

ART. I.-Parcels may be forwarded by Parcel Post from the United Kingdom to the Argentine Republic up to the weight of 11 lbs. English, and from the Argentine Republic to the United Kingdom up to the weight of 5 kilos.

II. (1) The two Post Offices guarantee the right of transit for parcels over their territory to or from any country with which they respectively have Parcel Post communication, and they undertake responsibility for transit parcels within the limits determined by Article X below.

(2) In the absence of any arrangement to the contrary between the Administrations concerned, the conveyance of parcels thus exchanged between countries not contiguous will be effected à découvert.

III.-The prepayment of the postage on parcels shall be compulsory, except in the case of re-directed parcels.

IV.-(1) On each parcel sent from the United Kingdom to the Argentine Republic, or vice-versa, the Post Office of the country of origin shall pay to the Post Office of the country of destination for inland service the sum of 1 fr. 25 c. This sum shall be increased by 2 fr. when the office of destination provides for the sea service, it being understood that the steamship companies are under no obligation to the country of origin to convey its parcels free of charge to the country of destination.

(2) The amount of the postage to be prepaid on parcels exchanged between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic shall be fixed in each case by the office of origin according to its own regulations.

Signed also in Spanish. + See "State Papers," Vol. 90, page 1104.

V. In the case of parcels originating in or forwarded by one of the two contracting countries and sent in transit through the other, the Post Office of the intermediate country shall be credited by the other Post Office with the sums due to the former for the conveyance in accordance with tables to be mutually communicated.

VI.-The Post Office of the country of destination may levy from the addressees for the delivery of the parcels and for the fulfilment of Custom House formalities, a charge not exceeding 25 c. for each parcel.

VII. The parcels to which the present Agreement applies cannot be subjected to any postal charge other than those contemplated by the different articles of this Agreement.

VIII. For the re-direction of parcels from one country to the other, as well as for the return of undelivered parcels, a supplementary charge on the basis of the rates fixed in accordance with Article IV shall be collected from the addressees or the senders, as the case may be.

IX. (1) It is forbidden to send by post

(a) Parcels containing letters or communications of the nature of a letter, live animals, except bees in properly constructed boxes, or articles the admission of which is not authorized by the Customs or other laws or regulations of either country. A parcel may, however, contain in an open cover the invoice simply describing the contents as well as a simple copy of the address of the parcel, together with the address of the sender.

(b) Parcels containing explosive or inflammable articles, and in general articles the conveyance of which is dangerous.

(2) If a parcel contravening any of these prohibitions shall be handed over by one Administration to the other, the latter shall proceed in the manner and with the formalities prescribed by its law or inland regulations.

(3) The two Administrations shall furnish each other with a list of prohibited articles; but they will not thereby undertake any responsibility whatever towards either the police, the Customs authorities, or the senders of parcels.

X.-(1) In all cases of loss, abstraction, or damage, except such as are beyond control, the sender, or, in default or at the request of the sender, the addressee shall be entitled to an indemnity corresponding with the actual amount of the loss, abstraction, or damage, unless the damage has arisen from the fault or negligence of the sender or from the nature of the article, and provided always that the indemnity does not

exceed 25 fr. The sender of a parcel which has been lost, or of which the contents have been completely destroyed in the post, shall also be entitled to the return of the postage.

(2) The obligation of paying the indemnity shall rest with the Administration to which the despatching office is subordinate. To that Administration is reserved a remedy against the Administration responsible, that is to say, against the Administration on the territory or in the service of which the loss or the damage took place.

(3) Until the contrary is shown, the responsibility shall rest with the Administration which, having received the parcel without making any observation, cannot prove its delivery to the addressee, or, in the case of a transit parcel, its regular transfer to the following Administration.

(4) The payment of the indemnity to the sender or addressee ought to take place as soon as possible, and at the latest within a year of the date of the application. The Administration responsible will be bound to make good, without delay, the amount of the indemnity paid.

(5) It is understood that no application for an indemnity will be entertained unless made within a year of the posting of the parcel; after this term the applicant will have no right to any indemnity.

(6) If the loss, abstraction, or damage shall have occurred in course of conveyance between the exchanging offices of the two countries, and it shall not be possible to ascertain on the territory or in the service of which the loss, abstraction, or damage took place, each Administration shall pay half of the indemnity.

(7) The Administrations will cease to be responsible for parcels of which the owners have accepted delivery.

XI.-The cost of the receptacles in which parcel mails are exchanged between the two countries shall be shared equally between the two Administrations.

XII. (1) The internal legislation of both the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic shall remain applicable as regards everything not provided for by the stipulations contained in the present Agreement.

(2) The Administrations shall communicate to each other, from time to time, the provisions of their laws or regulations applicable to the conveyance of parcels by Parcel Post. XIII. The two Postal Administrations shall indicate the offices or localities which they admit to the international exchange of parcels; they shall regulate the mode of trans

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mission of these parcels, and fix all other measures of detail and order necessary for ensuring the performance of the present Agreement.

XIV. This Agreement shall supersede the Convention dated the 28th of June, 1889,* and the additional Articles of the 12th of November, 1895.† It shall come into operation on the 1st of November, 1908, and shall be terminable on a notice of one year by either party.

Done in duplicate at London the 29th day of October, 1907, and at Buenos Ayres the 1st day of September, 1908.

SYDNEY CHARLES BUXTON.
JUSTINIAN POSSE.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

AGREEMENT between the British and Austrian Post Offices for the Exchange of Money Orders. Signed at London, October 28, and at Vienna, November 10, 1905.‡

ART. I.-Between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Austria (including the Austrian Post Offices in Turkey) there shall be a regular exchange of Money Orders.

II. (1) Money Orders may be remitted either by post or by telegraph, according to the desire of the sender; but Telegraph Money Orders are not admissible in the service with the Austrian Post Offices in Turkey.

(2) The exchange of Money Orders by post shall take place exclusively through the medium of offices of exchange to be designated by the contracting Administrations by mutual agreement.

III. (1) Money Orders issued in the United Kingdom for payment in Austria shall be made out in crown currency, and those issued in Austria for payment in the United Kingdom shall be made out in sterling currency. The amount shall be paid into the Post Office by the senders in the currency of the country of issue; and the Administration of the country of issue shall itself determine the rate of conversion of the

* See Vol. 18, page 208. + See Vol. 20, page 175.
Signed also in Austrian.

amounts into the currency of the country of payment. The contracting Administrations shall communicate to each other the rate of conversion which they adopt in this connection, and also any changes which may be made in the rate.

(2) Payments by and to the public on account of Money Orders shall take place according to the gold value of the money of the country of origin or of destination, as the case may be, and shall be made in the legal currency of the country concerned.

(3) Money Orders from the United Kingdom intended for payment at the Austrian Post Offices in Turkey shall be converted into francs by the Austrian Administration according to the relative gold standard value of the crown and franc currency.

IV. (1) In the case of Orders issued at Post Offices in the United Kingdom for payment in Austria the maximum amount for a single Order is fixed at 401. sterling and for Orders sent in the reverse direction at 1,000 crowns.

(2) In the issue of Money Orders no account shall be taken of any sum less than one penny or one heller.

V. (1) The British Post Office and the Austrian Post Office shall each fix for itself the charges to be made for the Money Orders which it may issue; but the one Administration shall inform the other of the charges fixed and also of any alterations which may be made in the charges.

(2) The Administration of the country of origin shall retain these charges, but shall credit the Administration of the country of destination with of one per cent. on the total amount of such of the money orders as are paid in its territory.

(3) The sender of a Telegraph Money Order has to pay, besides the charge mentioned in the first paragraph of this Article, the charge for the Money Order telegram.

VI.-The sender of a Money Order shall be permitted to require the return of the amount, or to make corrections with regard to the name or address of the receiver, so long as the Order remains unpaid, and provided that the amount has not already reverted to the country of origin under the provisions of Article 7. Before the amount of a Money Order is repaid to the sender it must be ascertained that the Administration of the country of destination has not paid and will not pay the Money Order.

VII.—The amounts of Money Orders which have not been claimed by the payees shall after the expiration of the limit