El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-22
DEATH STAMP
carries NEWS
Of WARS TOLL
Bearing the Word ''Decede"
It Represents Greatest
Tragedy of ALI.
ON LETTERS TO
SLAIN SOLDIERS

n ERNIE, SWITZERLAND, Jan 22.-
X There is one small postage stamp.
- with a black border and the sin
gle word: DECIDE" !dead); which rep
resents a greater tragedy than any bat
tie in the present war. It is the stamp
used by the international mail service,
conducted by the Swiss government, be-
tween the prisoners of war of all ma
tons and their families. on letters di-
rected to soldiers who have fallen at
the front or died in hospital
A large table is piled high with these
letters. each bearing the fatal stamp
DECIDE" This is but one mail. and
each days mail piles the table again.
They are TO families in England, Ger
many, France. Turkey, Austria, Japan
the entire range Of fighting Countries
for Switzerland has taken over the en-
tire work of administering this mail
service between families and their men
at the front
SWitzerland's Tremendous Task.
For a small country it IS an enor-
nous work that Switzerland has thus
assumed, bearing the entire expense
without q penny's charge TO anyone LO-
Gated right in the heart Of the carnage,
with the fighting nations on every side,
Switzerland is peculiarly placed for eff
, fectiTely carrying on this humanitarian
work 1t is like the diplomatic work
which the United States assumed for
the different countries, but the magni-
tude Of The work is probably greater
owning TO the vastness Of these daily
mails between all the fighting cOun-
tries. And yet Switzerland does this
/ work simply and without noise. and
few know Of the extent Of the under
taking.
Gymnasium Used as POstOffiee.
Accompanied by secretary Breny OF
the pOstoffice department who is in di-
rect charge of the work The Associ-
ated Press representative saw its many
branches Of activity in full operation.
Even the big general pOstoffice Of
Switzerland was not adequate to carry
on this international work. and the
huge gymnasium was brought into
service Here the trapezes and flying
rings have been lOOped to the side
walls, along with rows Of indian clubs
and dumbbells. giving q free open space
for the enormous influx of soldier mail.
Long trains Of mail vans are at the
door. and some 80 to so wagOnloads Of
this mail are handled daily-letters to
Bombay for Turkish prisoners there by
the English, or to Nagasakl- Japan, for
German prisoners held there by Japan,
81 C-- - LAAG llNdA ID AAd-AA1A--A11AyAA bI-
tween France, Germany. England. Aus
tria, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Belgium,
etc.
A great pile Of German mail had just
come in. and the bags were stacked up :
on the floor.
German Mail Sacks of Paper.
Here is something curious" said one
Of the officials. turning to the German
mail bags you will notice they are
made Of paper-yes. paper mail bags
Usually mail bags are very stout, of
leather or heavy canvas But lately we
have noticed the Germans are using pa
per for their bags It means big saw
ing on their hemp, and the bags are
strong and serviceable-"
Taking a knife, one Of the paper mail
bags was cut shOying great resistance. |
It appeared TO be a new quality Of /
paper. with fibre almost like the mesh |
of cloth, but Enthusiastically paper.