The Green Forest tribune., 1917-11-23
CAN STILL SEND
 GIFTS ID FRANCE
Those Wishing to Send Christ. mas Packages to Soldiers
 Have Last Chance.
LAST SHIP TO SAIL DEC. 5
Post Office Department Calls Attcn ton to Fact That Parcel Post May Be Utilized Through
 out the Year.

out the Year.
 WaShington.-In order to remove any misunderstanding that nay eXisi regarding the rules governing tht sending of parcels to the members ot the American eXpeditionary forces il France, Otto Praeger, second assist ant postmaster general, has issued thu following statement on the subject:
 Parcel post for soldiers and civilian connected with the American Epedition arY Forces in France, when careful packed and properly addressed will b accepted by all postmasters for direct transmission through the mails. Sue parcels may weigh up to seven pounds Parcels for the soldiers and civilians connected with the American EXpedi tionary Forces may contain anything that is admissible to the domestic par eel post except perisha bles which ma2 spoil on the long journey to Europe.
 Parcel post for the American EXpe ditiOnary Forces need not be packed il. wooden boxes but should be carefully packed in the strongest kind of paste board box to assure it's safe arrival al the front.
 In addition to this parcel post service to the troops, the war department vii undertake to carry Christmas parcels for the American Expeditionary Forces provided such parcels are sent "carc the Commanding General, Port of En barkation. Pier l, Hoboken. New Jer- sey" and are packed in wooden boxes not more than two cubic feet in volume well strapped. and with a hinged or screw top Such Christmas boxes may he 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 in spect the contents of each box and un- 1ertake it's delivery from Hoboken to he addressee. The war department will receive Christmas packages up to De .ember 9th
 Parcel Post Limit Seven Pounds.
 It will be noted that parcels weigh ing seven pounds but no more can be Sont 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 authorization at HOholen N. ]. These parcels, which must moi 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 E. 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 P cents for each pound sent. and this rate holds from what eyer 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.
 II will be noted that in the instruc- ttons given above and prepared in the second assistant postmaster generals office nothing is said specifically con corning the kind of things which may be sent fo the soldiers and civilians connected with the eXpeditionary forces. It 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 eumstances. Neither must anything inflammable. 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 mashing up and rlining other thing- 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 pest 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. It is desired to accentuate the fact that parcels UT 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- Der 5.