is uncertain as to what happened to his certificates, he should be asked to search again and return in 10 days to fill out Form PS 607. (Exception may be made if delay will cause the depositor hardship.) Form PS 607 must be prepared in duplicate. The serial numbers of the missing certificates should be verified against those on Form PS 600. The application must not be certified in the postmaster's name until the identification data in section E, paragraph 4, has been verified with that on the Form PS 600 to identify the applicant as the true depositor. Any difference between item 39 of the postal savings records and the total of Form PS 600 should be shown on Form PS 607. The amount of the outstanding balance shown on Form PS 600 should be written in the space to the right of the words "Section B" (on both original and duplicate).

(3) Postmasters will forward the original Form PS 607 and the Form PS 600 to the postal data center for verification and payment of missing certificates direct to depositor. Postmasters will retain the duplicate of Form PS 607 as a record of the amount transferred to the postal data center. The total of all Forms PS 607 sent to the postal data center during the reporting period should be entered under item 39 on Form 704 or 714 with an explanation. Postmasters shall file duplicates of Form PS 607 with the account records of paid postal savings accounts and retain them for 6 years.

(4) Postal data centers will send a check for the total of the missing certificates and interest due direct to the depositor. They will retain the Form PS 600 and original Form PS 607 and will file the Form PS 607 in their permanent files so that if the certificates are presented for payment at any future date there will be evidence that the amount they represent was paid.

(c) Disposition of recovered certificates. The postmaster shall mark recovered certificates "Canceled," enter the date, and send them to the postal data center with an explanation. [32 F.R. 3296, Feb. 25, 1967]

§ 173.8 Office records and records of depositors' accounts.

(a) Recording withdrawals. Withdrawals shall be posted on Form PS 600, showing date of transaction, paid in "Certificate Numbers" column, total

amount of principal in "Transaction Amount" column, and the balance in "New Balance" column, followed by the initials of the paying clerk in the "By” column, all on the same line. The transaction must be dated opposite original issue of certificate in "Date Paid" column. Certificates must be stamped paid with special paid date stamp and initialed. A report shall be made on Form 713 or Form 708 and the paid certificates shall be sent to postmaster daily. The postmaster must send the paid certificates with Form 704 or Form 714 to the postal data center each accounting period.

(b) Verifying records of accounts. The postmaster shall verify records of accounts as follows:

(1) Daily verification. Do not file Forms PS 600 which have been withdrawn in the day's business until the payments and extensions have been verified by adding separately the payments recorded for the day and the balance to the credit of depositors before and after entry of the day's business. Check the total of payments against the payments as recorded in Form 708 or Form 713.

(2) Six months' verification. Verify the balance in item 39 of Form 704 or 714 with the total of the balances on the depositors' Forms PS 600 every 6 months. If the totals do not agree, check addition or subtraction on depositor's cards. If no error is found, check the entries on the cards with the records of certificates paid. Place a dummy account card, Form PS 600, in the front of the file, on which enter the amount of the difference (circling the amount if the total of the balances of the Forms PS 600 is in excess of the amount in item 39 of the Form 704 or 714). Report to the postal data center for additional instructions only when an unusual situation arises.

(c) Filing and closing accounts. The postmaster shall file and close accounts as follows:

(1) Filing. File the Forms PS 600 numerically by account numbers. Maintain an alphabetical cross-index card file (if many accounts) showing the depositor's name and account number.

(2) Closing. Mark the depositor's Form PS 600 "Account Closed" when all certificates issued to a depositor have

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 211 issued under 5 U.S.C. 301, 39 U.S.C. 501, 505.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 211 appear at 32 F.R. 12252, unless otherwise noted.

§ 211.1 Universal Postal Union.

The exchange of all mail except parcel post between the United States (see Part 112 of this chapter) and other countries is governed by the provisions of the Convention of the Universal Postal Union, of which the United States is a member. § 211.2 Postal Union of the Americas and Spain.

The United States and the following countries are also members of the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain

Certain special provisions apply to the exchange of mail, including parcel post, with the countries listed above. Those provisions appear in the appropriate sections of this chapter.

§ 212.1 Postal union mail.

Postal union mail, both surface and air, is exchanged under provisions of the Universal Postal Convention or the Convention of the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain. The weight and size limits and other general provisions (but not postage rates) for the various classifications of mail exchanged under those conventions are the same from and to the United States. Postal Union mail is divided into two categories, known as "LC mail" and "AO mail," as follows:

(a) The term "LC mail" refers to letters, letter packages, post cards, and aerogrammes. See §§ 222.1, 222.2, and 241.5 of this chapter.

(b) The term "AO mail" refers to postal union mail other than letter mail, post cards, and aerogrammes. It includes printed matter of all kinds, matter for the blind, samples of merchandise, and small packets. See §§ 222.3 through 222.9 of this chapter.

§ 221.1

Preparing and addressing.

(a) Preparing. (1) Senders must prepare articles securely, especially if they are for distant countries. International mail is handled more often and subjected to greater pressure and friction than domestic mail, hence it must be enclosed in strong envelopes or other wrappings.

(2) Use envelopes of any light color on which the address and postmark will be legible. Do not use three-cornered envelopes. Window envelopes meeting the conditions in § 122.4 of this chapter with the exception of open-panel envelopes, are acceptable in the international mail. Open-panel envelopes are accepted only in the ordinary (unregistered) mail to Canada.

(3) Letters and letter packages (LC mail) may be placed in bags, boxes, envelopes, or containers, and, if unregistered, may be sealed at the option of the sender. Registered letters and letter packages must be sealed. See § 242.2 (b) (1) of this chapter.

(4) Articles other than letters and letter packages (AO mail) must be prepared in such a way that their contents are sufficiently protected but so as not to hinder quick and easy inspection of the contents. They should be placed under wrapper, on a roller, or between cardboard; in open bags, boxes, envelopes, or containers or in closed, unsealed bags, boxes, envelopes, or containers provided with fasteners that can be easily opened and reclosed without being dangerous; or they may be tied with string or twine in a manner that will permit them to be easily untied Sealing of postal union "other articles" is not permitted, even if registered, and they must be prepared in such a way that other articles do not run the risk of being trapped by them.

(5) As an exception to subparagraph (4) of this paragraph, items in AO mail articles which would spoil if packed according to the general rules, and samples of merchandise packed in a transparent packing permitting check of their contents, are admitted in hermetically sealed

packing. The same applies to samples of industrial and vegetable products in a packing sealed by the manufacturer or by an examining authority in the country of origin. In such cases the sender or the addressee may be required to assist in a check of the contents, either by opening certain of the items or in some other satisfactory manner.

(b) Packing requirements for certain articles-(1) Glass. Articles of glass or other fragile materials must be securely packed in boxes of metal, wood, or strong corrugated fiberboard filled with paper, wood shavings, or other protective material that prevent the articles from moving about or coming in contact with each other or with the sides of the box in course of transmission.

(2) Liquids, oils, etc. Liquids, oils, and substances which easily liquefy must be enclosed in hermetically sealed receptacles. Each receptacle must be placed in a separate box of metal, strong wood, or strong corrugated fiberboard containing enough sawdust, cotton, or spongy material to absorb the liquid in the event of breakage of the receptacle. The cover of the box must be fastened in such a way that it cannot become easily detached.

(3) Fatty substances. Fatty substances which do not easily liquefy, such as ointments, soft soap, resin, etc., as well as silkworm eggs, must be enclosed in an inside cover (box, canvas, or parchment bag, etc.), which must itself be placed in a second box of wood, metal, or stout, thick material.

(4) Powders. Dry powdered dyes such as aniline, etc., are not admitted unless enclosed in stout tin boxes placed, in turn, inside wooden boxes, with sawdust between the two packings; dry noncoloring powders must be placed in boxes of metal, wood, or cardboard. These boxes themselves must be enclosed in a canvas or parchment bag.

(5) Live organisms. Live bees, leeches, silkworm eggs, and parasites and predators of injurious insects intended for the control of such insects and exchanged between officially recognized agencies shall be enclosed in boxes so constructed as to avoid all danger.

(6) Perishable biological materials. See § 221.3(b) (5) (iii).

(7) Radioactive materials. See § 221.3 (b) (6).

(c) Addressing. (1) Reserve at least the entire right half of the address side for the address of the addressee, postage

stamps, or postage-paid impressions, and the service labels and notations (postmarks, etc.).

(2) Address mail legibly using roman letters and arabic figures placed lengthwise on one side of the article only. Write the name and address of the addressee precisely and completely so that employees distributing the mail will be able to route mail to its proper destination without difficulty. Show name of post office and country of destination in capital letters. Give house number and street address or box number when mail is addressed to towns or cities. Addressing mail to "boxholder" or "householder" is not permitted.

(3) The address of articles sent to General Delivery (in French, "Poste Restante") must indicate name of the addressee. The use of initials, figures, simple given names, fictitious names, or conventional marks of any kind not permitted on these articles.

(4) Addresses in Russian, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese, or Chinese characters must bear an interlined translation of the names of the post office, province, and country of destination in English. If the English forms are not known, show foreign spellings in roman characters, print, or script.

(d) Return address. The complete address of the sender must be shown in the upper left corner of the address side so as not to affect either the clarity of the address or the application of service labels or notations. See § 222.2(c) (2) and 222.4 (e) (5) of this chapter. Ordinary (unregistered) articles bearing a return address in another country are accepted only at risk of senders.

(a) Prepayment. Articles must be fully prepaid to assure dispatch without delay and without penalty against the addressees. If the missing postage cannot be collected from the mailer, the shortpaid articles are either sent to destination and double the shortage collected from the addressees or they are sent to dead-letter branches for treatment. See § 223.2 of this chapter.

(b) How paid-(1) Stamps. Postage and fees for special services may be paid by means of U.S. postage stamps or by meter stamps of a bright red color. Precanceled stamps may be used under the same conditions as in the domestic mail. Airmail stamps may be used on airmail

articles only, and special delivery stamps may be used only for payment of special delivery fees. See § 141.6 of this chapter for other stamps not valid as postage.

(2) Other means. Postage may be paid by permit imprints, subject to the general conditions stated in Part 144 of this chapter. Permit imprints must show the amount of postage paid on each article and may be of any color. Postage on second-class and controlled circulation matter mailed by publishers or registered news agents may be paid in money under the conditions stated in § 222.4(e) (3) (ii) and (iii) of this chapter (second-class only).

(c) Articles Mailed Aboard Ships (Paquebot). (1) Mail posted aboard commercial vessels on the high seas usually bears postage stamps of the country whose flag the vessel flies. On arrival at a port, an officer of the ship hands the mail into the post office of the port city, where the stamps are canceled and the mai is dispatched. If the stamps are foreign, the post office uses a special Paquebot postmark or applies the word Paquebot to the envelop in ink or with a rubber stamp.

(2) Any mail to be forwarded by air must be accompanied by an AV-2 form. prepared by the ship's officer, showing weight of the articles for each destination, including those for the United States. When airmail is presented at a post office that is not an international airmail exchange office, the postmaster must transmit the AV-2 form to the nearest installation listed below:

FAMRU

Airport Mail Facility, P.O. Dept. Kennedy International Airport Jamaica, New York 11430

FAMRU

Airport Mail Facility, P.O. Dept.
International Airport
Miami, Florida 33159

FAMRU

Airport Mail Facility, P.O. Dept.
International Airport

San Francisco, California 94128

(3) Mail posted aboard a U.S. ship on the high seas, or aboard any ship while in a U.S. port, must bear U.S. stamps and is not entitled to Paquebot cancellation at a U.S. post office.

(d) Mailings without postage-(1) Diplomatic and consular mail. Mail of foreign diplomatic and consular representatives in the United States is subject to the same postage rates and condi