Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-10-16
CHRISTMAS PAR
GELS TO SOLDIERS
Orders Received Affecting Christmas
Mail for the American
Forces Abroad.

mail for the American forces abroad
have been received at the Webster
City postoffice by Postmaster Bau-
man. An accompanying letter adj
dressed to the public brings the mat
ter squarely to the attention of ev-
cry person in the United States who
contemplates sending a christmas"
parcel to a member of the American
expeditionary forces overseas. The
letter follows:
''The time is approaching to give
thought to bringing Christmas cheer
to the American soldiers and sailors
abroad.
arrangements have been per-
fected whereby the Christmas mail
to the American expeditionary forces
in Europe is to be delivered by
Christmas morning. Without the
fullest cooperation on the part OF
the public it will be impossible to-
accomplish this result.
"The three essential respects In
which the public can aid in assuring
a happy Christmas at the front are:
Mail early, address intelligently, and
pack securely. For this reason 1t Is
urgently requested that all persons
having Christmas mail for the SOL
diers and sailors and the civilian
units attached to the army In tEu-
rope observe closely the following
directions:
81. Mails to reach the soldiers
in France by Christmas morning
must be posted not later than No
vember Is.
"2. Every package must bear
conspicuously the words Christmas
MAIL the complete address Of the
person for whom 1t is intended, and,
in the upper left-hand corner. the
name and address of the sender.
'3. Every parcel must be packed
and wrapped 80 as to admit OF easy
inspection by the postmaster. No
parcel will be dispatched to France
which has not the postmaster's GER
tificate that it contains no prohib-
tied articles"
Owing to the unusual distance
this mail must be transported. the
handling and the storage it must
undergo, it is absolutely necessary
that all parcels be covered with
wrappers of sufficient strength, not
only to resist pressure Of other mail
contained in the sack in which 1t
will be enclosed, but to Withstand
the weight of other sacks of mail
which. in the long transit, may be
piled thereon.
Furthermore, owing to the fact
that the contents of each parcel
must be scrutinized before leaving
the United States, to obviate delay
due to censorship, the cover thereof
should be SO secured as to admit OF
ready inspection of the contents of
the parcel.
Candies in thin pasteboard boxes
should be enclosed in thin wood, tin
or corrugated pasteboard. Sealed
packages of candy, cigars, tobacco
and toilet articles in simplest mer-
camille form may be Enclosed within
parcels without affecting the parcel
post classification of such packages.
Cakes, plum puddings and similar
delicacies should be packed in sub
stantial tin containers, or equally
resistant receptacles, whether sent as
separate packages or Enclosed with
other matter in combination pack
age.
Parcels must be fully, correctly
and legibly addressed and conspicu-
ously marked Christmas mail" The
addressee's company. regiment or
other organization, followed by the
words American Expeditionary
Forces" should appear in the ad-
dress.
All parcels must be fully prepaid
by stamps affixed, at the eighth zone
rate Of postage, or IL cents for each
pound or fraction. The rate OF post
age on parcels of printed books
Weighing ounces or less is 1 cent
for each two ounces OF fraction
thereof
Parcels containing perishable
| matter should be withheld from the
mails unless it is absolutely certain
that the contents will not deteriorate
within six weeks from the date Of
mailing.
The principal articles classed as
unavailable as intoxicants Of all
kinds. poisons. inflammable mater
ials (including friction matches), or
compositions which may kill or in