The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-17
LETTERS ARE
OPENED AND
P|LFERED:
Outrage Practiced on
Soldiers.
POSTAL AGENTS PoWERLEss
MONEY AND vALUABLEs BOLD
LIZ. STOLEN. +.
Question as to Whether the Bags Are
Rifed on shipboard or at.
Either End of the
Route.
POSTAL AGENTS PoWERLEss
MONEY AND vALUABLEs BOLD
LIZ STOLEN. =: :

=: Although it Is claimed that every pre-
caution has been taken by the post
office authorities to protect the mail
forwarded to and from Manila, nearly
every package and registered letter has
been tempered with and, in some cases.
inclosed money orders extracted from
them. This announcement will come
as a surprise to the general public
throughout the country as the postal
service was considered absolutely re-
liable.
Whether from carelessness or pru-
dence, prompted by direct motlVe. the
authorities have said nothing and ap-
parently done nothing to stamp OUT the
outrage, although repeated protests
have been made.
Nothing of value that leaves this city
destined for Manila, or from there to
this city, through the medium OF the
nostoffice. can now be deemed apso-
1utely safe, and no positive proof can
be given that it will ever reach 1ts
destination. s.
This has been proven an absolute fact
by the experience of the soldiers IN Ma
Mia and their relatives at home VINO
claim they have never received pack
ages and letters mailed to them. by
the statements of a number OF fr1endS
and relatives of soldiers. letters nave
often been received with the upper poT-
ton torn off and in some cases Win
the seal broken. Money, 1t Is Claielea'
has been repeatedly extracted Ilolll
sealed envelopes.
The system pursued by the pilferers
is the simple one of cutting on ent!relS
that section of the envelope in when
the money is wrapped, and allowing the
envelope to reach its destination In a
state of mutilation.
| Although this practice has been going
on continually since the war began, in
fact having its commencement pc
tween this city and New. YORK long pc
fore the volunteers and. regulars rleIt
for Manila, and although Complaints
were made repeatedly TO the postal au-
thorities there has been no abatement
Init rather an increase of the practice.
No apparent effort has been exerted
either by the army officials or the pos
tai authorities to suppress the outrage.
Whether the robbery was cone py men
in the employ of the Postefhce Depart
nent or outsiders is not, nor can II De,
definitely stated; but it is inferred by
those who have suffered that the let
ters have been opened by regular en-
ployes of the department..
Where the letters sent to ana from
Manila have been tempered with is a
question of opinion. Some advance the
likely, that the letters have been and
are being tempered with at Manila by
the soldiers who are detailed there TO
collect and handle the mail before 1T is.
finally turned over to the postal. agents
for shipment to the United States.
Others claim that this would be impos-
sible as the authorities at Manila would
Immediately detect the outrage by
viewing the broken seals that must
necessarily pass through their hands.
They suggest the idea that the letters
are opened while on shipboard on the
Journey from the Philippines to this
CITY. This theory was almost conclu-
sively proven a few days ago when the
mail aboard the transport Valencia was
overhauled In one of the bags letter
was found with the entire upper section
of the envelope removed, 1T having been
cut away for the purpose OF extracting
the inclosed money.
Aside from the taking of money from
letters valuable packages have been
stolen outright. Those: who send articles
of this kind of any value whatever take
the risk of their never reaching their
destination. People of this city and
elsewhere who take an interest in the
volunteers are surprised after several
weeks or months to find that their
packages have never reached Manila
The reason is now. perfectly apparent.
They were probably stolen en- route.
Whether the fault lies with the postal
authorities or not is not definitely
known at this time, but the problem of
detecting the guilty parties seems to
many simple one, which could be &C
complished should an earnest effort be
made in that direction.