Gallery

Danzig-Polish Post Office Dispute 1925 | den Danzig -- polnischen Poststreit

cannot alter the meaning and the scope of the decision. Once a decision has been duly given, it is only its contents that are authoritative, whatever may have been the views of its author.

The decision of December 23^rd, 1922, refers to a dispute concerning  the right of Poland to establish a letter-sorting office (bureau de triage) at the main Railway Station of Danzig, and was to the effect that Poland had no such right.

It  conceded on both sides that there is nothing in the operative portion of the decision which deals with the points now in dispute between Poland and Danzig. But in paragraph 6 of the Statement of Reasons (motifs) the High Commissioner says that Article 29 of the Paris Convention gives  Poland the right to establish one postal service, which, according to his decision of 25^th May, 1922, and the subsequent Agreement between the two Governments, means one Post Office in the Port of Danzig; then he goes onto say that in his opinion “this Post Office is not intended to deal with all letters posted in Poland to Polish nationals residing in Danzig, and with all letters sent by these Polish nationals either to Poland or abroad, but that it is intended to enable the Polish authorities, legally established in Danzig territory, to make up mails and dispatch them direct to Poland or abroad from that Post Office, and from nowhere else, and also to deal with through mails sent from Poland via the Port of Danzig to countries beyond the sea and vice versa.” On this paragraph Danzig bases her contention that there is a. decision to the effect that the use of the Polish postal service is confined to Polish authorities and offices.

An appeal was brought by the Polish Government against the decision of December 23^rd, 1922. On April 18^th, 1923, an arrangement was made between the Parties on the question decided by the High Commissioner: it.is said in the preamble that the representatives of the Parties have agreed “that the decision of the. High Commissioner of December 23^rd, 1922, is replaced by the following provisions”; clause 3 of the Agreement, however, says that. “this practical settlement of the question does not in any way alter the

Danzig-Polish Post Office Dispute, Seite 24.