Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-08
SORROWS OF WAR
BROUGHT HOME
Women in Mourning Garb Be
4 fore Post Office Windows
Silent Reminders


Washington, Dec. S.-Women in
mourning garb and men with solemn
faces, waiting in line these days all
over the United States before post
of11ce windows where foreign money
orders are issued. tell a wordless story
OF the sorrows of wars destruction
reaching across the seas to America.
A third Christmas time of world
conflict has seen long lines of happy
folk. radiant with holiday spirit at the
prospect of sending something home
to the old folks" turned into silent
parties of mourners, sending back
money to alleviate suffering and filled
with anxiety and distress with the
uncertainty of its safe arrival. There
is also the grave uncertainty that
when a gift reaches its destination
no one Will be there to receive 1t.
Postal clerks have been quick to
note the change. Veterans in the
service who have been issuing Christ
mas money orders to all parts of the
globe for years say they no longer
hear eagerly told stories of the gifts
the money was to buy. They hear
only hopes that it may arrive safely
to provide food, clothing and fire or
perhaps medicine.
The line is a little shorter and the
people average much older this year
than formerly. Its decreased num-
bers is attributed to the fact that
the government, despite determined
efforts, is unable to guarantee safe
and speedy delivery of money orders
in the war zone. Old age has taken
its place in line because the sons of
many are now across the seas on the
fighting fronts.
U. S. AS Santa Claus.
Through the postal money order
department the United States will
be Santa Claus to far more people
of fho Entanta Al1iaG than nf tha Gem
trail Powers this year. Delivery of or
ders in England and France have
been interfered with only slightly.
No delivery is being made in Austria,
and German points receive their or
ders late, if indeed, they get them at
all. Virtually no orders are being
sent to Russia, largely because War
saw, which was the central station
for the payment of orders, now is in
the war zone. This situation has af-
fected the money order receipts in
this country greatly, too, for in for
mer years Russians in the United
States led all the remaining foreign
born citizens in sending money home
at Christmas time.
Prisoners of war will receive many
money orders this Christmas. This
is particularly true in England. where
delivery is good. BY an agreement
made several years ago in conven-
tibn of various countries to effect a
postal agreement. it was arranged
that orders to prisoners of war should
be transported free of charge, and the
United States is living UP to the agree
ment scrupuiously.
Submarine activities have had
much to do with decreasing the
Christmas business in foreign orders.
and if the total for this year falls
below that for 1915. as it probably
will, the underseas liners can be
blamed for much of the decrease, ac-
cording to Third Assistant Postmaster
General Dockery.
"Of course it is impossible to say
just how much the submarine activi-
ties have affected the money order
business" he said, but they have
cut 1t down much"
Due to this and other causes, the
foreign money order business is in a
with the beginning of the war, and
has decreased gradually ever since.
'I attribute its decrease in great
measure also to many young men
from the foreign countries returning
home to fight at the outbreak of the
war. OF course they, prior to their
departure, were regular patrons, for
few of them did not send money home
at Christmas-tim particularly, and
often during other periods of the
year. The older people, who are left
behind, have less money to send"
Italians and Greeks.
With delivery in Italy and Greece
comparatively safe, natives of those
countries are leading all the rest this
Christmas in sending money home
Always a liberal people at Christmas
time and firm believers in this gov
ernment, as the postal savings ac-
counts also show, they are literally
sending tons of money" back home
now. Their sums vary from So te
$15, postal employees say.
The postal department is usinf
, every effort to encourage Christmas
sending, although no false hopes OF
quick delivery are held out Supple.
mental instructions are printed iT
virtually every language, including
Chinese and Japanese, on how tt
make out q money order, and they
have been found very useful. The Chi
fall on the same day as 1t does il
this country, but the Chinese are in.
clined to make presents during the
American holidays as we'll as theiI
own.
Norway, Sweden and DenmarE
come in for a good share of the
Christmas money orders. Most OF
their former citizens in this country
appear prosperous, 1t is declared, and
they are liberal at holiday times.
Many persons who desired to send
holiday membranes to friends in
Belgium, Egypt, Mexico and Portugal
as we'll as Austria, have. been sur
prised to learn, recently that money
order business has been suspended
owing to the fact the United States
has no conventions" as postal
agreements are called with them.
The Christmas money order bust
ness usually stops about December 10
Recovery of funds has been more
difficult by the war, and claims fol
uncollected orders now require about
six weeks for settlement.