The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-10-18
RED CROSS HAVE CHARGE OF
SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS CHEER
Last Years Experience Very Unsatis-
factory-Many Packages Were
Lost and Arrived Late.

Profiting by the experience of last
| Christmas the government has this
year turned the matter of sending our
overseas boys their Christmas cheer
thru the Red Cross. Also it is pro-
posed that the soldiers shall get their
| Christmas reminders on time this
year. Two million packages is some
mail itself, without taking into ac-
count the hundred millions of pack
ages of the balance of us. No Won
der the mail was congested, much of
il lost and nearly all of it arrived
late. This year every soldier will
get one package but no more. The
packages will all be the same size
and weight. Last year some soldiers
got a dozen packages while some
were forgotten altogether.
Most important of all, no Christ
mas package intended for a soldier
will be received after November 20.
All the packages will be assembled
at one port and go on one ship. The
problem has gotten so large it simply
had to be systematized. Following
are the government rules in regard
to soldiers Christmas presents:
Parcels for army men must be
placed in cardboard boxes.
Only one box allowed to each SOL
der.
One parcel will be accepted by the
war department through the Red
Cross for each soldier overseas.
Each soldier will be provided with
one Christmas parcel label This la
bel will be forwarded by him to the
person in the United States from
whom he wishes to receive his Christ
mas package. Packages that do not
bear this label will not be accepted
by the Red Cross for delivery to the
post office authorities. Labels that
are lost will not be duplicated.
Christmas parcels must be placed
in cardboard boxes by A by 9 in
ches in size. These boxes will be
provided to holders of labels by the
American Red Cross. They may be
obtained at Red Cross chapters OF
branches after November
With each box will be given c)m
plete instructions regarding the ar
ticles which may be sent, and list of
articles which are barred by the pos
tai authorities. Study these instruc-
tions and avoid mistakes. No mes
sage or written material of any kind
will be allowed to go in the boxes.
When the boxes are packed, but an.
wrapped they must not weigh more
than two pounds Is ounces. If the
parcel is overweight, some article
must be removed.
Do not put perishable food, soft
candy, liquids, or anything in glass
containers in the package if you wish
if to reach its destination with the
other contents unspoiled.
Do not mail the box yourself. When
packed, the box should be taken to
the nearest collection station desig-
mated by the Red Cross unsealed and
unwrapped, ready for inspection. Red
Cross representatives are authorized
to remove Objectionable articles from
parcels. Shippers will then affix suf-
ficent postage on their parcels to
carry them to Hohoken N Par
eel zone rates will be charged. The
parcels are to remain in custody of
the Red Cross until delivered to the
postal authorities.
No Christmas parcel will be ac-
cepted by the Red Cross for ship
ment after November 20. Keep this
fact in mind when planning a Merry
Christmas for the boys "Over There"