The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-12-21
PARIS HAS FIRST
U. S. POSTOFFICE
Departments in Charge Of Se-
Iected Men Who Volunteered
Their Services.
ESTABLISH TWO TERMINALS
New York and Chicago Distributing
Points, Where Uncle Sam Sorts
and Labels Mail to Vari.
GUS Points.

GUS Points.
Everything possible Is being done to
facilitate the prompt handling of mail
between this country and Uncle
Sans expedltionary forces In France,
and the work has been accomplished
with remarkable speed.
Postmaster General Burleson real
ICES that to "the boys at the 'front.'
a letter from home means much, and
that the coming and going of this
mail Is a matter Of watchful anxiety
on the part of the folks at home,
Nearly every family in America Is
interested to know how letters and
parcels are dispatched to the expedi-
tlonary forces and whether every par
ticular individual soldier, who is the
object of home affection and anxiety,
will be promptly found by the letter
carrier" among the thousands who
may be located at unnamed places In
France.
The United States post office went
to Europe in advance of the expedi-
tionary forces. A postal agent was
appointed for duty in France and
force was sent with him to provide for
the opening of post offices as rapidly
as the needs of the army might re-
qulre. He was accompanied by COM
inittee Of postal officials. The ten
highest men in each railway division,
tine money order, registry and other
specialized branches, who volunteered
for this service were selected by the
department for the French service. A
number Of these officials sacrificed
higher pay at home than they would re-
ceive for their services abroad, In their
patriotic response to the call of spe-
cial duty.
The "first United States post office
In France" Is now operating In Paris,
having comfortable quarters and thor
ough equipment.
Use Experts Who Volunteered.
The postal force Is from time to
| time, as the needs Of the service re-
qulre, being provided with experienced
postal distributors, and stamp and
money order clerks, who are selected
from among the most expert in the
postal service CT this country who vol
unteer their services. Additional post
offices have been established as rap
Idly as required. There are now in
France six branch postal agencies or
divisional offices handling the mail to
and from the soldiers, selling stamps
and issuing money orders. Whenever
| the necessity has arisen for an addi-
tional branch post Office or station it
has been provided and in working or
der within from "a to 36 hours. To
meet the requirement of additional
service an organization has been
worked out in advance so that num-
ber of men are regularly on hand be-
ing trained at the post offices already
established so as to familiarlze them
with the work.
gent of the American troops being Or
dered to France arrangements were
made for distributing center at New
York, where the malls are distributed
by regiments, companies, etc., so that
upon their receipt in France they may
be promptly dispatched to the proper
military or other organization, some
of which are widely scattered, and
delivered to the soldiers without de-
| lay. There is no delay In the delivery
of mail to the Americans serving In
France whether belonging to the expe-
ditianary forces or to other organiza-
tions, If properly addressed.
The department has frequently re-
minded the public that the mail ad-
dressed to members of the expedition
AIRY forces should designate the dIvls-
ion, the regiment, the company, and
the organization to which the address
es belongs-as John Smith, Jr., Com
pany " Infantry (Giving the num-
ber of the Infantry, American Expedi-
Itionary Forces" The letter or parcel
should also bear the return address
of the sender, and be properly stamped.
The limit of weight for parcel is 20
pounds.
Two Military Terminals.
The method of handling the mail for
the expeditlonary forces is to forward
to the central distributing point at New
York In the Grand Central Terminal all
matter mailed east of the Mississippi /;
and to the military terminal point on
Wabash avenue, Chicago, matter
mailed west of the Mississippi. AT
these two distributing points the mail
is sorted and labeled to each of the