891.711/9

Memorandum by Mr. Raymond A. Hare of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs

I got in touch with Mr. Weber of the International Postal Service Division of the Post Office Department today in connection with the non-delivery in Iran of second-class mail matter originating in this country and asked him whether he knew of any other similar cases which might serve as a precedent for the drastic action of the Iranian Government.

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Mr. Weber stated that cases regarding the prohibition of specific items or types of second-class mail matter are of course very common and cited a number of such instances with reference to prohibitions maintained by Canada, British India, Japan, Czechoslovakia and Australia. In all of these instances, however, the prohibition was always on a book, pamphlet, particular issue of a periodical, or all issues of certain types of periodicals, with such restriction usually being based upon moral or political grounds. Mr. Weber was not aware, on the other hand, of any previous cases where a blanket prohibition had been placed upon all printed matter from this country.

When questioned as to whether the action of the Iranian Government might in any way contravene the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention signed in Cairo on March 20, 1934,18 Mr. Weber stated that he did not believe that the Iranians would be restricted by that agreement and referred specifically to Article 46, Section 1 (d) thereof, which provides that objects of which the admission or the circulation is prohibited in the country of destination should not be accepted for transmission but that in the event of their having been transmitted they should be subject to the domestic regulations of such administration as may discover them.

  1. 49 Stat. 2741.