CHINA "SCRAMBLES" THE MAIL

Evening Star, Issue 23845, 27 March 1941, Page 8

CHINA "SCRAMBLES" THE MAIL

One of the world’s most curious situations on the matter of postal charges is to be found in Tsiugtao, says the ‘ Christian Science Monitor.’ This Shantung port has experienced a number of odd dilemmas as the result of its position as - testing ground for Japanese ideas in the occupied parte of China, but none queerer than the situation regarding mail sent abroad. Last autumn the Chinese National Government at . Chungking doubled foreign postage rates, due to sharp declines in the value of Chinese currency against other money. Postal -rates have been established on a basis, not of each country’s own currency, but of the gold franc. Tsiugtao’s post office officials wer® prepared to follow instructions. However, the Japanese-sponsored “ puppet” regime at Peking at once puts , its finger into the pie and ordered that post offices at Tsiugtao and elsewhere within its theoretical jurisdiction were to pay no attention to Chungking on this or any other point. Tsiugtao is affected most heavily, along with Tientsin, because of business with foreign countries. So Tsiugtao postal authorities had to fall in line with Peking’s order and, when'mail was presented for transmission abroad, the old rate of postage was quoted. But this left out of consideration the fact that the International Postal Union has the final word—and the I.P.U. sfiys “double the old rate on postage out of China.” Therefore anyone mailing in accordance with instructions given by postal officials in the Japanese-occupied territory is likely to have his mail delayed. The only' rule in such a case would appear to be for those mailing from Tsiugtao and similar points to inquire the proper rate, then affix stamps to twice that amount. It is no more_ exceptional than many other things caused by the present extraordinary state of affairs in China to-day!