The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-12
CHRISTMAS MAIL FOR
THE SOLDIERS ABROAD
Plans Made By Government
To Handle Packages
SEND Them ALONG EARLY
That Is One of the instructions
From Department at
Washington
From Mondays Daily.

The following is copy of notice is
sued by the government unce1 date OF
october 8, 1917:
ing to give thought to bringing Christmas
cheer to the American soldiers and sail
ors abroad.
whereby the Christmas mail to the Ameri-
can expeditionary forces in Europe is to
be delivered by Christmas morning With
but the fullest cooperation of the public
it will impossible to accomplish this re-
suit.
The three essential respects in which the
public can aid in assuring happy Christ
mas at the front are: MAIL EARLY, AD-
DRESS INTELLIGENTLY, and PACK
SECURELY. For this reason it is urg-
emily requested that all persons having
Christmas Mail for the soldiers and sail
ors and the civilian units attached to the
army in Europe observe closely the fol-
lowing directions: -..r
One. Mails to reach the soldiers in
France by Christmas morning must be
posted not later than NOVEM d1 10.
NAIL" with the complete address Of
the person for whom it is intended and,
in the upper left-hand corner, the name
and address of the sender
Three. Every parcel must be so
packed and wrapped as to admit OF easy
inspection by the postmaster. No parcel
will be dispatched to France which has
not the postmaster's certificate that it
contains no prohibited articles,-Signed,
A. S. Burleson, postmaster general;
Newton D. Baker secretary of war. Jo-
sephus Daniels, secretary of the navy.
1t should be understood in this connec-
ton that parcels for the expeditionary
forces abroad cannot be registered or in
Sured.
A bulletin containing the above notice
together with complete Instructions as to
preparing parcels for mailing, how to ad-
dress, parcels, permissible additions TO
Cd oil of
in the postoffice lobby and postoHlce
clerks will be glad to render any possible
assistance or furnish further information
in regard to this matter.
When Letters viii Go Free.
Among the provisions of the act of con-
gress of October g. 1917, is one that states
that letters written and mailed by sol
diers, sailors and marines assigned to
duty in a foreign country engaged in the
present war may be mailed free OF post
age subject to such rules and regulations
as may be prescribed by the postmaster
general To be entitled to this privilege,
such letters shall bear in the upper left
hand corner the name of the soldier, sail
or or marines, together with the deslgna-
ton of the organization or unit TO Whlch
he belongs, as for instance. John Doe,
Company C. Fifth U. s. regiment. Upon
arrival at their destination such letters
will be delivered without the collection OF
Accurate Record to Be Kept.
In view of the fact that, since July l.
insured parcel post packages are deliver
ed at the office of address without rec
ord being made thereof, it is suggested
that all persons and firms who. receive
large numbers of insured parcels install a
system of checking the receipt OF such
parcels. This is so that they may be anie
to answer correctly and definitely any in
uuiry received in regard to the receipt
of any particular insured parcel The ne
cessty for extreme accuracy IN such
cases should be apparent to any business
man.
Should an insured parcel be received
that does not give the name and address
of the sender a record should be mace py
the recipient of the number of the parcel
which is always stamped on the address
side, the date of it's receipt and the
postoffice at which parcel was mailed In
this way, should inquiry be made regard.
ing anv such parcel the fact of it's receipt
may be easily ascertained and reported