The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-22
War Department viii Transport
Christmas Packages for
Boys in France.
LAST SAILING DATE DEC. S
Official Statement Issued by Post
offiee Department to Eliminate
Confusion Regarding Reg
uIAtions.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.


United States queries come to Wash
ington concerning the exact rules gov
erning the sending of parcels to the
members of the expeditionary forces in
France. Confusion seems to prevail
everywhere. 1t is due to number of
causes. the principal one of which
seems to be that the instructions were
sent out piecemeal and that some of
the first rules were amended.
Here is the official statement on
the subject which I have just secured
from the post office department:
Western Newspaper Union.
Gentlemen: In answer to your inquiry
with reference to parcel post packages
for the American Expeditionary Forces
beg to advise you as follows:
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
tionary 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-
ditionary Forces need not be packed in
wooden boxes. but should be carefully
packed in the strongest kind of paste
board box to assure its safe arrival at
the front
In addition to this parcel post service
to the troops. the war department will
undertake to carry Christmas parcels
for the American Expeditionary Forces
provided such parcels are sent care
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 hinged or
screw top. Such Christmas boxes may
be sent to the Commanding Officer. Port
of Embarkation. either by express OF
through the mails. and must not exceed
20 pounds in weight The army will in
spect the contents of each box and un-
dertake its delivery from Hoboken tc
the addressee. The war department will
receive Christmas packages up to De-
cember 5th-
Yours very truly.
OTTO PRAEGER,
Second Assistant Postmaster General.
Parcel Post Limit Seven Pounds.
1t will be noted that parcels weigh
ing seven pounds but no. more can be
sent through the post ofiice 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
its 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 1t 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 IL 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" 1t 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 1t.
Matches must not be sent In any cir
cumstances. 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 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.
1t 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 m
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 aoove
will not be forwarded II they are re-
IIoi>alEax> laxoz &haxa D6,sossa.