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 * 2nd for every request by telegraph, the charge for the telegram according to the ordinary tariff.

3.—The provisions of this Article are not obligatory in countries the legislation of which does not allow the sender to dispose of an article in course of transportation.

Those countries of the Union which have not the franc for their monetary unit fix their postage rates at the equivalents, in their respective currencies, of the rates determined by the various Articles of the present Convention. Such countries have the option of rounding off the fractions in conformity with the Table inserted in the Regulations mentioned in Article 20 of the present Convention.

1.—Prepayment of postage on every description of article can be effected only by means of postage-stamps valid in the country of origin for the correspondence of private individuals. It is not, however, permitted to make use, in the international service, of postage-stamps issued for a special and particular purpose, such as postage stamps called commemorative, of a temporary validity.

There are considered as duly prepaid reply post cards bearing postage stamps of the country which issued the cards, and the newspapers or packages of newspapers not bearing postage stamps but whose address shows the words "Abonnements-poste" ('postal subscription') and which are dispatched in virtue of the special arrangement for newspaper subscriptions, mentioned in Article 19 of the present Convention.

2.—Official correspondence relative to the postal service, exchanged between Postal Administrations, between these Administrations and the International Bureau, and between post offices of the countries of the Union, is exempt from prepayment by ordinary postage-stamps, and is alone admitted free.

3.—Correspondence mailed on the high seas in the letter-box of a vessel or by being handed to the captains of vessels may be prepaid by means of the postage-stamps and according to the postage-rates of the country to which said vessel belongs or on which it is dependent. If the mailing on board takes place during the stay of the vessel at one of the two terminal points of the voyage or at one of the intermediate ports of call, prepayment of postage can be effected only by means of the postage-stamps and according to the postage-rates of the country in waters of which the vessel happens to be.

1.—Each Administration keeps the whole of the sums which it collects by virtue of the foregoing Articles 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11, except the payments due for the money orders provided by section 2 of Article 7.