The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-23
SOLDIER MAIL
IS GIVEN BEST
OF ATTENTION
Letters for Americans in the
Trenches Handled Rap
idly as Possible.
ADDRESS SHOULD
BE FULL AND PLAIN
Complaint That Service is
"Rotten" Brings Forth
Official Statement.
Washington Bureau
The Pensacola Journal
BY GEORGE n. MANNING.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 22.-"Mait
from the United States to the soldiers
in France is being handled with the
greatest possible despatch and II prop
erly addressed there is no reason why
il should require more than 80 days at
the utmost for its delivery" said As
sistant Postmaster General Praeger
today.
"A little longer time may be re-
quired if there is nothing in the ad-
dress to show to what company the
soldier or officer belongs; or if he has
been assigned 70 some other organi
zation, or if he has been given some
special detail away from his own COM
pany and does not return for some
time to the point where his mail is
being held.
"In no instance should more than
10 days be necessary for the delivery
of a letter after it is posted, and / can
not imagine any circumstances where
so long as ninety days would be neces-
sary for the delivery of mail between
the United States and the American
Expeditionary Forces"
An explanation IN regard TO delay
in mail delivery was sought by The
Journal correspondent from Assistant
/
supervision over the foreign mails
division, in view of the complaint be-
ing made by some of the American
soldiers in France that the mail sys-
tenn at the front is rotten" and that
in many instances ninety days have
been required for delivery of letters
Mr.. Praeger outlined the system OF
transmission of mail from the United
states to the men in France as fol-
Ioyfs:
;"The letters picked up from boxes
all over the Eastern States for the men
at the front are gathered at one point
in New York. and those from the
Western States in Chicago. AT these
two Offices they are assorted Letters
going TO each company are placed to-
ga ather in one bag, sealed and tagged
for that company Letters with IN
sufficient address are all placed to-
gether, put in bags and sent TO the
Statistical Bureau at General fersH-
ing's headquarters In France where
each man is looked up and the letters
sent along to him at whatever point
he is located.
ITO handle this soldier mail we have
established in New York the greatest
distribution station in the United
States. Four hundred mail clerks are
there distributing mail all the time so
that there will be no delay on this
side. We occupy three floors in the old
Crawford Simpson building in the 18th
Street, New York.
Mail that is properly addressed
goes in the bags from New York
tagged for the company or other unit
direct 1t goes on the transport to
France. and then is transferred to the
French railroad and sent to the front.
The mail addressed property to the
men is delivered by the mail carriers
to the company mail orderlies who dis
tribute it, We deliver only to the mil
itary orderlies and not to the men
personally. This is the same system
as used by France and England. The
letters with insufficient address go to
the Statistical Bureau for address and
then go out directly from there to
the men"
Mr.. Praeger said the principal rea-
son for complaint of poor mail ser
vice is that. letters cross each other
and take about thirty days for de-
| livery.
"A person will write from this side
| to France, for instance" said Mr..
Praeger, .and the letter will not reach
there for thirty days. Meanwhile the
soldier writes stating that ne has re-
ceived no mail. Usually their letters
have crossed and each has received
| the others letters before the letter OF
complaint is received.
| owe have 25 mail stations in
France" he continued, with ample
l force to handle the mails quickly The
fact that we handle 90 carloads OF
Christmas mail for the boys in the
trenches and that every piece OF II
was delivered on December 24th and
25th is ample evidence we have an
able. and efficient force at the front
| The Postoffice Department records
| show that letters have been sent r
1 France at the rate of over 2.o00,o00 a
month for the - f.wo months.