THE POSTAL UNION
In spite of desolating wars and quarrels between rival nations, there
has been growing in Europe during the last fifty or sixty years a sense
of the need for international action. The Great Exhibition of 1851
raised hopes of universal brotherhood and of the turning of spears into
pruning-hooks, but in a few short years the nations were again engaged
in the fiercest conflicts, and at the present time European countries
are armed in a way that is a constant danger to peace. Still the fact
remains that during the whole time international movements have been
developing, and a spirit of unity is spreading among the nations.
Governments are usually the last bodies of men to feel such influences.
The movements come from below—from the workers, who realise that the
problems they have to face are the same as those of every other country,
and from the men of business, who have long since realised that
co-operation with the foreigner is better for trade than any attempts to
hamper his action. The doctrines of universal brotherhood and of love
have no doubt exercised a certain influence on European thought: the
message of the poets and of religious enthusiasts has usually taken this
form; but the verdict of the men who pride themselves on their common
sense has in the past been, that the ideas do not belong to practical
politics. The discovery of modern times is that the message of the poets
is good business. Solidarity among the nations is the discovery of the
commercial man, and although the sentiment of nationality and the
instinct for war are too deeply engrained in the human mind to be
uprooted at once, the fact remains that the avoidance of war at all
hazards is now the avowed object of European peoples, just as in former
times the rushing into war seemed the easiest and most profitable way of
settling difficulties.
Then the long peace which followed on Waterloo, and the introduction of
the railways, opened up the Continent to the traveller, and year by year
the communications, friendly and commercial, between the nations
increased. And nothing irritated both the traveller and the business man
more than the capricious varieties in postal rates which existed in
Europe prior to 1875. There were in existence treaties, agreements, and
understandings between different nations on the subject of postal
communications, but every national Post Office made the best terms it
could for itself when making a treaty, and there was no approach to
uniformity. The idea of each nation was to make the foreigner pay, and
while in many instances this policy may have meant an immediate increase
of revenue to the particular Government, it did not help the trade of
the country, which suffered also from the natural efforts of the rival
country to pursue a policy of retaliation in postal matters. There were
many units of weight in use; and the scale of progression was variable,
as were also the charges. The latter were very high, and their
calculation was a matter of great difficulty. A letter which had to be
sent in transit through several countries was charged according to the
different units and progressions of weight in vogue. Thus the postage on
such a letter was ordinarily composed of the internal rate of the
country of origin, the internal rate of that of destination, the rate of
each country it passed through, and the charge for sea transit where
such means was employed. With the ideas then prevalent, it seemed to be
not only good business but the fair and square thing all round, that
every nation should exact its full charge on every letter which passed
through its boundaries.
The honour of first raising the question of the organisation of
international postal business belongs to the United States Government,
which in 1862 suggested a conference of the delegates of different
Postal Administrations for the purpose of discussing the matter.
Fifteen Governments at once adopted the proposal, and the Conference
took place at Paris in May 1863. The Conference lasted nearly a month,
and discussed thirty-six questions which arose in connection with the
three fundamental questions of the uniformity of weight, the
uniformity of rates and the simplification of accounting, including
naturally an amelioration of the system of transit. From a postal
point of view the delegates represented nine-tenths of the commerce
and nineteen-twentieths of the correspondence of the whole world. They
represented, moreover, 400 millions of persons belonging to the most
civilised and the most industrious nations of the world. The outcome
of the labours of the Conference was the proposition for an
International Postal Union. This idea was set forth in 1868 in the
official journal of the Postal Administration of Northern Germany, by
Herr Von Stephan, who deserves a place of honourable mention among
postal reformers. He suggested a Universal Congress to consider the
matter, but the Franco-Prussian War interrupted the negotiations. They
were reopened when peace was established, and the first move came then
from the little republic of Switzerland, which from its neutral
position was better able to take the lead at a time when national
animosities were strong in Europe. The Government of the Swiss
Confederation invited representatives from Europe, the United States,
and Egypt to meet at Berne in 1874, and it was here that the Postal
Union was called into existence. The man of the hour was Herr Von
Stephan, who came fresh from carrying out a similar scheme among the
numerous small German States. Dr. Von Stephan was a man of ideas who
also possessed eloquence, and he was the leading spirit of the
Congress.
The central idea of the Union which he proposed was to arrange that the
whole of the countries forming it should be for postal purposes a single
territory, and within that territory there was to be a uniform tariff.
It was necessary that such a scheme should be large enough to make it
possible for the greatest available number of administrations to adhere
to it, and that the sacrifices that it would be needful to make would be
more than compensated for by the development of postal traffic. Of
course the idea met with great opposition. Financial experts shook their
heads, and authoritatively declared that proposals for reducing and
simplifying postal rates were a danger to the finances of their
respective countries. In Great Britain, where the Post Office brings in
annually a great revenue to the Treasury, there was also opposition: it
was clear that under the new arrangement the British Government would
have to do a great deal for nothing in the carrying of the world's
letters. Nationalists of all countries saw in the proposal a menace to
national sentiment and national glory. But over and above all these
considerations was the great question of the public convenience, and
people were beginning to understand the great principle of State
administration, that a loss to one Department is not a loss to the State
if the people benefit. Dr. Von Stephan was for twenty-five years the
head of the German Postal Administration, and he attended more than one
of the Congresses subsequent to that at Berne. At the Vienna Congress of
1891 he modestly resisted the idea that the Postal Union originated from
his action. He said: “Ideas are not originated by any individual. They
float in the atmosphere for a whole epoch, at first vaguely, then in a
more distinct form, until they condense and precipitate themselves in
taking body and life. The idea of unification is in harmony with the
aspirations of our century: it prevails to-day in many of the domains of
human activity: it constitutes the true motive power of human
civilisation. As for our great machine of international exchange, it
was, moreover, stimulated by this irrefutable fact, that the enormous
masses which devolved upon it to handle, which increased from day to
day, and extended from frontier to frontier, and to the furthest seas
and latitudes, urgently demanded a simplification of the entire
mechanism as the only means of making headway against its almost
unlimited requirements and of maintaining indispensable rapidity and
regularity. Such are the natural elements which were the true founders
of the Universal Postal Union.”
The Treaty of Berne has been described as the greatest manifestation of
the spirit of solidarity in the history of the world, and the Conference
of Berne has been spoken of as the first Parliament of Mankind. It is
always a temptation to speak in exaggerated terms of great advances in
humanity and civilisation. International Conferences had been held
before in the history of mankind, notably those of the Catholic Church,
but their tendency had been rather to stultify human thought, and they
had done little or nothing to promote the peace of the world. But here
at Berne had been called into existence a Postal Parliament, and in the
different Congresses which have been held since at various capitals,
debates and discussions have taken place between delegates from all the
nations participating in the Union. The work these Congresses do is
quietly and unostentatiously performed, but it is a real portion of that
great movement in favour of peace and goodwill among nations which, in
spite of great armies and huge navies, is leavening the life of Europe
at the present day.
Ten years after the Treaty of Berne the Union had absorbed nearly all
the nations of the world, and to-day China is the only civilised country
which does not participate, although she is constantly expressing her
hope to be able to do so at no distant date.
The first and principal work of the Union was to abolish the involved
and differing rates of postage on correspondence between various
nations. Letters, postcards, and printed matter were in future to
circulate at one common series of rates, viz. 2½d., 1d., and ½d., or
their equivalents in the currencies of the different countries. As the
Union grew, the sphere of its activities also increased, and to the
original scheme were added arrangements for the exchange of insured
articles, money orders, and parcels.
The business of the Postal Union is conducted at a Central Office at
Berne. Here are settled misunderstandings and disputes, and the accounts
for the conveying of mails and the exchange of money orders, &c. The
expenses of this bureau are remarkably small, and are met by the Post
Offices of the participating nations. A publication called _L'Union
Postale_ is issued monthly by the Central Office.
One of the latest schemes adopted by the Union is the reply coupon.
People of a generous disposition are able to pay not only the postage on
their own letters but also that of the replies. Whatever opinion may be
formed of the anxiety of men and women in general to save other people's
pockets at the expense of their own, there can be no doubt that a
limited number, either from altruistic motives or because possibly they
wish to exploit some commercial scheme, demand some means of prepaying
replies other than the double postcard, which has never been much in
favour. Special coupons are now exchangeable by the Post Office of any
country which adopts the scheme for a postage stamp of 25 centimes
(2½d.) or its equivalent. For instance, a friend can write to you from
Japan and enclose a coupon which, if you present it at a post office,
will obtain for you without charge the stamp necessary for your reply.
Since the Congress at Berne there have been held Congresses at Berne in
1876, Paris in 1880, Lisbon in 1885, Vienna in 1891, Washington in 1897
and Rome in 1904. What does a Congress of this kind resemble when it is
sitting? Is it simply a dull assembly of black-coated gentlemen such as
our own House of Commons? Here is a lively account of the first meeting
of the Washington Congress, taken from the _Washington Evening Star_ of
the 5th May 1897: “The Universal Postal Congress begun its sessions at
the old Corcoran Art Gallery this morning shortly after eleven o'clock.
The delegates began to gather long before this hour, and assembled in
the room to the left of the entrance on the first floor. They made a
striking and picturesque group. The majority of the gentlemen were in
full dress with white gloves, but a number of them wore military
uniforms with side arms. The profusion of decorations worn by the
delegates was as notable as the insignias were brilliant and beautiful.
Jewelled stars, gem-encrusted circlets, and a large variety of other
emblems significant of the honours conferred upon their wearers by
potentates and governments, were displayed. Some of the delegates wore
as many as a dozen decorations of this character hanging pendent from
brilliant ribbons around their necks, pinned to coat lapels or bosoms,
or held by broad, bright scarfs that encircled their bodies. The Danish
and Italian representatives were attired in military uniforms heavily
embroidered with gold, and the Russians wore velvet cloaks with many
silver buttons, while golden spurs hung at the heels of their
patent-leather riding-boots. The Japanese wore the military uniform of
that empire.... The conversation among the delegates buzzed in a dozen
different languages, the little groups of delegates from the same
country talking together in their native tongues but quickly using
French when addressing their remarks to others.”
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[Illustration: THE POSTAL UNION MONUMENT.]
Erected at Berne to commemorate the founding of the Postal
Union. On the ledge of a rock is seated a woman, whose hand
rests on the escutcheon of the town of Berne. On the summit
of the rock a bank of clouds, which to glide into space,
bears up a sphere around which float five female figures,
symbols of the five divisions of the world, offering letters
to each other.
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Perhaps I may add an extract from a speech made at the conclusion of the
same Conference by Sir Spencer Walpole, who was at that time Secretary
of the British Post Office: “One word more, gentlemen. We are going back
to our duties and our toils: but we shall never forget our meetings in
this beautiful city of Washington, where we have worked to improve the
postal communications of the world. At this moment I recall the morning
on which we found ourselves collected in a little church of this city.
The representatives of sixty nations and I know not how many religions
were met together to show respect to a colleague unfortunately deceased,
and to commend his soul to the God of all nations of the world—both
eastern and western. That gathering seems to me a type of our Congress.
We, the delegates of sixty nations, found ourselves united in the same
thought—I had almost said in the same religion. I hope that this thought
will more and more dominate our work, and that the improvement of the
communications of the world at which we have laboured will lead to
friendship among the nations, to brotherliness among men, and to
universal peace.”
Only those who have been present at one of these Congresses can fully
realise how much they make for the results hoped for by Sir Spencer
Walpole. It is a revelation of the community of interest which is shared
by all the nations of the world in the matter of international
intercourse. And of course the effect on other departments of life is
wide-reaching.
In order to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the foundation
of the Universal Postal Union a monument was unveiled at Berne in
October 1910. The sculptor is M. René de Saint Marceaux of Paris. On a
ledge of a rock whose broad base is solidly embedded in the earth, and
from the foot of which flows a small spring, is seated a woman whose
delicate hand rests on the escutcheon of the town of Berne. On the
summit of the rock a bank of clouds, which seems to glide in space,
bears up a sphere round which float five female figures, symbols of the
five continents of the world. The figures are passing a letter from hand
to hand, illustrating the activity of the universal post. Always moving,
regardless of obstruction or frontiers, it carries to the utmost limits
of the world the messages of joy or mourning which are entrusted to its
care. The monument is an additional ornament to the beautiful city of
Berne: it is also an abiding memory of the success of the greatest of
modern efforts to bring under one banner all the nations of the earth.