For the purpose of making better postal arrangements between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama, the undersigned, George B. Cortelyou, Postmaster-General of the United States of America, duly authorized thereto by law, and J. D. de Obaldia, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington, duly authorized thereto by the President of the Republic of Panama, have agreed upon the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

(a) Articles of every kind or nature, which are admitted to the domestic mails of either country, except as herein prohibited, shall be admitted to the mails exchanged under this Convention; subject however to such regulations as the Postal Administration of the country of destination may deem necessary for sanitary purposes, or to protect its customs revenues, or its taxes on com

merce.

(b) But articles other than letters in their usual and ordinary form, must never be closed against inspection, but must be so wrapped or inclosed that they may be readily and thoroughly examined by postmasters or customs officers or postal employees. Except that there may be admitted to the mails exchanged between the United States and Panama unsealed packages which contain, in sealed receptacles, articles which can not be safely transmitted in unsealed receptacles; provided the contents of the closed receptacles are plain

Con la mira de establecer arieglos postales entre las Repúblicas de Panamá y los Estados Unidos de América, la primera, por medio de J. D. de Obaldía, su Enviado Extraordinario y Ministro Plenipotenciario en Washington, plenamente autorizado por el Presidente de la República de Panamá, y los Estados Unidos por George B. Cortelyou, Administrador General de Correos, de la segunda, debidamente autorizado por ley, han convenido en los siguientes artículos:

ARTICULO I.

June 19, 1905.

Preamble.

Articles admitted to mails.

Articles not to be

(a) Los objetos de toda clase ó naturaleza que se admitan en las balijas domésticas de cada país, con excepción de los que aquí se prohiben, se admitirán en las balijas que se cambien conforme á esta Convención; sujetos, sin embargo, á los reglamentos que considere necesarios, para proteger sus rentas aduanales ó impuestos comerciales, y para fines sanitarios, la Administración Postal del país de su destino. Pero los artículos que closed against inspecno sean cartas en su forma usual tion. y ordinaria, nunca se cerrarán á la inspeción, sino que se cubrirán ó envolverán de modo que puedan ser fácil y completamente examinados por los administradores de correos ó empleados de aduanas ó de las agencias postales. Excepto Exception. que podrán admitirse en las balijas que se cambien entre Panamá y los Estados Unidos los paquetes. no sellados que contengan, en receptáculos sellados, artículos que no puedan remitirse con seguridad en receptáculos no sellados; siempre que el contenido de dichos

ly visible or are precisely stated on the covers of the closed receptacles, and that the package is so wrapped that the outer cover can be easily opened.

The following articles are prohibited admission to the mails exchanged under this Convention:

(a) Publications which violate the copyright laws of the country of destination; packets, except single volumes of printed books, the weight of which exceeds two kilograms; liquids, poisons, explosive or inflammable substances, fatty substances, those which easily liquefy, live or dead animals (not dried), insects and reptiles, fruits and vegetables which will easily decompose and substances which exhale a bad odor, lottery tickets or circulars, all obscene and immoral articles, other articles which may destroy or in any way damage the mails or injure the persons handling them.

() All admissible matter mailed in one country for the other, or received in one country from the other, shall be free from any detention or inspection whatever, except such as is required by the regulations of the country of destination for the collection of its customs duties; and shall in the first case be forwarded by the most speedy means to its destination, and in the latter be delivered to the respective persons to whom it is addressed, being subject in its transmission to the laws and regulations of each country respectively.

ARTICLE II.

(a) Each Administration shall retain to its own use the whole of the postages and registration fees it collects on postal articles exchanged with the other, including deficient postage. Consequently, there will be no postage accounts between the two countries.

receptáculos cerrados esté plenamente visible ó se declare con precisión en las cubiertas de los receptáculos cerrados, y que el paquete esté hecho de tal manera que la cubierta exterior pueda abrirse con facilidad.

Se prohibe la admisión en las balijas que se cambien, conforme á esta Convención, de los objetos siguientes:

Las publicaciones que violen las leyes sobre propiedad literaria del país de su destino; paquetes de todas clases, exceptuando un solo libro impreso, aunque su peso exceda de dos kilogramos; los líquidos, venenos, materias explosivas ó inflamables, las grasosas, las fácilmente liquidables, animales vivos, los muertos no disecados, insectos y reptiles, frutas y vegetales que puedan descomponerse fácilmente y sustancias que exhalen un mal olor, billetes ó circulares de lotería, todo objeto obsceno ó inmoral y todos los demás objetos que puedan destruir ó de alguna manera perjudicar á las balijas ó dañar á las personas que las manejen.

(b) Todos los objetos admitidos en las balijas de un país y dirigidos al otro, ó recibidos en un país del otro, serán libres de detención ó inspección de cualquiera clase, exceptuando lo establecido por los reglamentos del país de su destino para cobrar los derechos de importación y para fines sanitarios; en el primer caso, serán enviados por la vía más rápida, y, en el segundo, serán entregados á las personas á quienes vayan dirigidos, quedando sujetos en su trasmisión á las leyes y reglamentos de cada país, respectivamente.

ARTICULO II.

Cada Administración de Correos conservará, para su propio uso, el total del porte y los derechos de certificación que recaude sobre objetos postales cambiados con el otro país, incluyendo el porte insuficientemente pagado. En consecuencia, no se llevarán cuentas de porte de correos entre los dos países.

(b) Articles other than letters and postal cards must be prepaid at least in part. Letters and postal cards will be forwarded to the country they are addressed to, even if they absolutely lack postage.

Payment of postage and registration fees shall be certified by affixing the appropriate stamps of the country of origin.

(c) Each insufficiently prepaid letter shall have stamped on its cover the capital letter T, and shall have indicated plainly thereon, in figures, on the upper left hand corner of the address, by the postal officials of the country of origin, the amount of the deficient postage, and only the amount so indi cated shall be collected of addressees on delivery, except in cases of obvious error.

ARTICLE III.

No postage charges shall be levied in either country on fully prepaid correspondence originating in the other, nor shall any charge be made in the country of destination upon official corre spondence which under the postal regulations of the country of origin is entitled to freedom from postage; but the country of destination will receive, forward and deliver the same free of charge.

ARTICLE IV.

In case any correspondence is tendered for mailing in either country, obviously with the intention to evade the higher postage rates applicable to it in the other country, it shall be refused, unless payment be made of such higher

rates.

ARTICLE V.

(a) Exchanges of mails under this Convention shall be effected through the post-offices of both countries already designated as exchange post-offices, or through such offices as may be hereafter