New-York tribune., 1918-08-26
U.S.. Army Lessening Delay
In Letters Sent Overseas
Manv Cases Reported Where Relatives Have Received Nc
News at All From Soldiers and Where Mails From
Here Have Been Held Back Months

The delay in soldiers mail. which
has increased almost in proportion to
the numbers of the American expedi
tionary forces, is now under the strict
inquiry of an army officer skilled in
postal matters and appears slowly to
be improving. However, names occa
sionally still crop in the casualty list
of men from whom their families had
previously had no word since their de-
parture for France months before.
There are still complaints in New
York alone which are numbered by
the thousands. Anxious soldiers still
beseech their officers to cable to the
United States for word of their fami-
lies.
In the beginning the mail was
handled by the Postoffice Department.
Then the army took over the deliveries,
leaving only the sorting to the civil
ians. Such a change in procedure was
bound to cause some confusion. and it
occurred at the very peak of troop
shipments when the expcditionary
forces were increasing at phe-
nomenal rate and the bulk of mail mat
ter was growing accordingly.
Letters Keep Up Morale
The Importance of a prompt mail
service IN maintaining Anne rican
morale at home and in the field is
recognized by the army and the postal
authorities, as was indicated by Sec
retary Baker in a recent letter to the
President. in which he said:
Both the War Department and the
Postoffice Department realize the i'm
portance of prompt and certain mail
relations between the soldiers and
their families in this country, not only
because of the obvious duty involved
on the part of the government, but be-
cause of the maintenance OF the morale
of the soldiers and their families by
such certain and speedy communica
ton"
The aim of Certain and speedy com
municaton" has not yet been achieved
though the last week or two has be-
gun to relieve the tragic tangle of the
previous months
Miss Ethel Blur. Ansonia Hotel,
secretary of the 3O7th Regimental
Family Unit. declared that the rela-
tlVes OF 3,OOO soldiers have been COM
planning about the slow delivery Of
the soldiers mail. She said that only
five or six Of her letters have as yet
reached her brother in France
Mail Delivery Delayed
Mrs. r. R. Rich, Mount Vernon,
chairman of the 307th Kegimental
Family Unit, and wife of Major F. r.
Rich, Of the Sd Battalion of the 3O7th
Infantry, which went to France about
April /, said most of the families in
the unit are getting very anxious be-
cause they have received 80 few let
ters. She also said the few letters
from the soldiers that have come
through indicate that the mail from
this side isn't being delivered promptly
there
! Mrs. F. Elliott Adams, 10 Beach Ave
nue., Mamoroneck. wife of Captain F.
Elliott Adams, of Company f of the
307th Infantry. said that her husband
did not receive any of the fifty-seven
letters she had written him until early
in August, when he got them all at
one time. His letters also failed to
reach her, she said
Mrs. William Vanamee, chairman of
the 307th Infantry Auxiliary, said
scores Of mothers and wives have
written the auxiliary to report that
the soldiers have not received their