The Benson signal., 1917-11-24
CAN STILL SEND
GIFTS To FRANCE
Those Wishing to Send Christ
mas Packages to Soldiers
Have Last Chance.
LAST SHIP TO SAIL DEC. 5
Post Office Department Calls Atten-
tion to Fact That Parcel Post
May Be Utilized Through
out the Year.

WaShington.-In order to remove
any misunderstanding that may exist
regarding the rules governing the
sending of parcels to the members of
the American eXpeditionary forces in
France, Otto Praeger, second assist
ant postmaster general, has issued the
following statement on the subject:
Parcel post for soldiers and civilians
| connected with the American Epedition
ary Forces in France, when carefully
packed and properly addressed, will be
| accepted by all postmasters for direct
| transmission through the mails. Such
| parcels may weigh up to seven pounds.
| Parcels for the soldiers and civilians
| connected with the American Expedi-
| tlonary Forces may contain anything
| that is admissible to the domestic par
| eel post except perishables which may
| spoil on the long journey to Europe.
| Parcel post for the American Expe-
1itionary Forces need not be packed in
| wooden boxes but should be carefully
| packed in the strongest kind of paste
| board box to assure it's safe arrival a
the front.
| In addition to this parcel post service
| to the troops, the war department will
|
| for the American EXpeditionary Forces
provided such parcels are sent care
| the Commanding General, Port of En-
| barka tion, Pier 1, Hoboken, New Jer
sey," and are packed in wooden boxes
| not more than two cubic feet in volume.
we'll strapped, and with hinged or
| screw top. Such Christmas boxes may
be sent to the Commanding officer. Port
| of Embarkation, either by express or
| through the mails, and must not exceed
| 20 pounds in weight. The army will ins
spect the contents of each box and un-
| dertake it's delivery from Hoboken to
the addressee. The war department will
| receive Christmas packages up to De-
cember 5th
Parcel Post Limit Seven Pounds.
1t will be noted that parcels weigh
ing seven pounds but no more can be
sent through the post office department
all the way to France.
The twenty-pound parcels which are
intended for Christmas gifts and which
are to be delivered on Christmas day
are sent by the war department from
It's port of embarkatiOn at HObOken,
N. J. These parcels, which must not
exceed twenty pounds in weight, can
be sent to the address given in Hobo
ken in any way that the sender
chooses.
Of course the post Office department
has been handling the smaller Christ
mas packages all the way through to
France, but in order to insure their de-
livery on Christmas morning it was
necessary to mail them by November
Is. However, the fact that the mailing
was too late for delivery on Christ
mas day does not mean that packages
cannot still be sent by parcel post.
They can be sent any day in the year
at the rate of II cents for each pound
sent and this rate holds from what
ever point in the United States the
package is sent.
How Packages Must Be Addressed.
Packages for the soldiers must be
addressed to the individual, with his
company and his regiment and then
must be added the words american
EXpeditionary Forces" It is not nee
essary to add the name of the country.
1t will be noted that in the instruc-
tiOns given above and prepared in the
second assistant postmaster generals
office nothing is said specifically con-
cerning the kind of things which may
be sent to the soldiers and civilians
connected with the eXpeditiOnary
forces. 1t is perfectly proper to send
sugar, provided it is properly wrapped.
The reason sugar is spoken Of here
is because there seems to have been
some misunderstanding about it.
Matches must not be sent in any Cir
cumstances. Neither must anything
infiammable, except, of course, Ordi-
nary packing material, be included,
nor must there be any chemical or
fresh fruit in the packages. Candy
can go if properly protected from
MASKING up and running other things
in the mail. Jars of fruit properly
sealed and protected against break
age can be sent. Nothing of an eX-
plosive nature must be put into the
parcels.
It is necessary that the parcel post
packages weighing up to seven
pounds shall be wrapped so that the
post office authorities may examine
their contents. The rules for the
packages which the war department
sends are given explicitly in the above
official communication. 1t is desired
to accentuate the fact that parcels up
to seven pounds in weight can be sent
by ordinary parcel post at any time of
the year, but that Christmas boxes
which are to go by the way of the war
department at the address given above
will not be forwarded if they are re-
ceived at HObOken later than Decem-
ber 5.