Tombstone epitaph., 1918-03-31
DON'T SEND USELESS
THINGS TO sAMMIes

ihet tuc paNei post Ddiis 10 SOL
diers in France are greatly burdened
by reason of so many unnecessary
articles being mailed. and that there
may arise a necessity for curtailing
the parcel pos. privilege TO soldiers
are shown in the following state
ment given out by the postofice de-
partner; today:
In March a government transport
reached France carrying to the sol
diers at the from; 1880 letters and
335.s4o pieces of parcel post and
newspapers. The letters weighed
eight and one-quarter tons and the
parcels and papers in excess of li3
tons. By reason of the bulkiness
of the mail. this shipment took up in
excess of 1900 cubic feet of space
ON the transport. This means a
slice OF the ships cargo space 100
feet long. 10 feet high and IL feet
wide The 715.sse letters went
into SAG sacks but the pieces of par
Gel post and papers required 7.45e
sacks. When this mail was I'M
loaded al French port. the letters
filled completely one OF the French
cars. which are half the size of the
American mail cars. but the parcels
and papers required a train of 10
cars.
The mail that is unlcaded from
the ships most frequently wait days
at port before cars can be spared
from the heavily burdened railroads
in France TO move the mails.
When the United States army pos
tai service was first inaugurated.
mail reached all the camps in the
country IN one to two days. accord
ing to distance and train connections
Today mail. by reason Of its vast vol
ume and the heavy demands on the
railroads. frequently takes six days
to reach General Pershing's head
quarters. which is located on a trunk
line.
Some Collection is Found
According to a report from New
York and Chicago of some OF the
contents of this parcel post matter
to the troops. a Il hour inspection OF
the parce post as ii was being
searched for infiammables and eN-
plosives disclosed. among other
things. 1.S42 boxes of matches. 361
cans OF solidifed, alcohol. pa cigar
lighters TALL Of these OF the greatest
menace to the safety of the ship.
1.24s cakes. 3.s1s packages of candies.
1892 bars of chocolate. besides count
less scores of useful as well as use
less ARTICLES. including a bouquet of
artificial flowers. a baby outfit and
bottle of whiskey.
On February Z, soldier fired by
devotion to the cause. wrote to his
mother in Ashville. North Carolina:
Don't take good space up with
sweets that should be used for
needed ammunition. The candy
and the cakes taste fine. but they
won't do much good when the Huns
starts his offensive: so don't do any.
thing to hinder the United States.
The question this state of affairs
raises is: Why send apples and
oranges ihat become bruised in the
long transit and rot in the s;uffy
holds Of the ships. when the recrea-
ton r,oms Of the Y. NJ. c. A. and
other welfare organizations serve
fresh fruit from Italy and Spain that
takes up no cargo space; why send
cakes and candies and chewing gum
when the post canteens sell II va
rieties of cakes and cookies, fresh
baked from France at American
prices or a bare shade higher; why
try to send across vast quantities Of
matches which endanger the ship
and which are penitentiary ofiense
TO place even in the domestic mails?
Could De Bought At canteen
Twofhirds OF the articles found In
a II hour inspection tour when work
ing the soldiers parcel post. are on
General Pershing's canteen list and
sold in retail quantities to the soldiers
at practically Wholesale prices.
The question will have to be an
swaei ~ The relatives of ise sol
diers o. It Wi. OF military necessity.
be answered drasticaIly by the au-
thoEdttss 10 Ffsnce charged with the