South Bend news-times., 1918-10-09

lected by the army. pouched and de-
livered TO the post office department
al ports OF embarkation in France,
transported on government trans
ports 10 the United States, and de
livered by the post Office depart
ment here Gen. Pershing reports
that ne is making every effort 10
perfect LhS mail service undet his
control so that mail Will be delivered
promptly.
The army authorities in France
are rapidly perfecting their postal
system, and an Improvement has
been noticed already in the lessen
ing Of congestion Of the mail. This
new system that is being put into
effect will. 1t is hoped, serve 10 elm
mate 10 a large degree complaints
relative TO the non receipt Of mail
to and from abroad.
IF the soldier does not get his
letters separately, he may receive
them collectively, but they will even
tually reach him If properly address
ed.
If letters are plainly marked with
the name and organization in full,
the words American ExpeditiOnary
Force at the bottom of the envelope,
and the name and address Of the
writer in the upper left-hand cor
ner. they will be taken care Of and
delivered if within the power of the
authorities"
INSURANCE AND ALLOTMENTS.
OF the delay in certain instances
in issuing war risk insurance poll
cies and in promptly checking out
allOtments by soldiers and the gov
ernment 10 dependents, War Risk
Commissioner Nesbit writes the
congressman:
In answer TO your letter in re
gard TO long delays in allotees re
ceiving their checks. 1 can only say
that there are undoubtedly a small
percentage of allotments not going
promptly or not going accurately,
and in some instances not going at
all for a considerable time after
they should go 1t would be idle and
foolish for me TO claim that this
work is 100 percent accurate to-
day. The records of this bureau
show that 3,7O2,OO6 applications are
on file for insurance; that there are
S.600,0S7 allotment applications on
file 4 total of 5,763, O06 checks have
been mailed in payment of allot-
ments and allowances to dependent
relatives of men in the service. The
bureau is in receipt of an average
of $4,000 letters per day which 1t
endeavors TO answer as expeditiously
as possible.
"Of the above number Of applica-
tions 1S,421 claims for exemption
from compulsory allotment TO a for
mer wife divorced. to whom alimony
has been decreed have been ad-
judicated to say nothing of the
numerous cases which are now
pending a decision.
Each allotment application in
wolves. in the matter Of awarding.
checking. index card writing. award
card writing and other operations in
connection with each one. from 10
to - distinct and separate opera
tions. The work is new TO most of
our employees and we are greatly
distressed for proper room and ia
Cilities. These, however. are condi-
tions which | am making no com
plant about, and which we are
meeting in the best possible way /
do believe, however, that between
81 and 9S percent of our work is
running smoothly and accurately,
but we must realize that if even
two percent of our cases are in
volved in some trouble because of a
mistake i'm statement by the enlist
ed man. a mistake in making out his
original application, a delay in re-
ceiving it from the camp, or a mis-
take in any of the operations above
mentioned, that this would mean
that 5000 peoples, at least, have a
just cause for complaint because
their checks are not coming accUr-
ately or promptly.
We are doing everything we can
do to correct these mistakes just as
rapidly as possible and I can assure
you that the burden of this respon-
sibility does not weigh lightly on any
of the officials Of the bureau. The
work is becoming more and more
thoroughly organized and systema.
tized and the causes for complaints
are rapidly being reduced, and just
as soon as possible il is our aim to
approach just as nearly 10 100 per
cent accuracy as it is possible for
US TO do So"