The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1918-09-18
LETTERS TO SOLDIERS
NOW IN FRANCE
Will Be Delivered by New Sys-
TEN in Three Weeks-Ad-
dress Carefully.

New York.-American soldiers
in the front line trenches in France
will receive their home letters within
three weeks after mailing If plans
now being worked out by army pos
tai officials are successful.
Captain Frank e. Frazier, Assist
ant Director of the American Ex-
peoitionary Forces Postal Service in
France, has returned to the United
States to put into effect plans for ex-
pediting the delivery of American
mail to the soldiers in France. He
said the other day:
with what has been done or is
now being done to insure the prompt
delivery of mail there should be no
occasion for delay or nondelivery of
letters to our soldiers III France IL
those writing them from home will
realize that the slightest inaccuracy
or obscurity in the address of let
ter is almost certain to cause delay
and may result in nondelivery."
One million letters arrive in
France every day addressed to mem
bers of the American Expeditionary
, orces, according to an estimate of
the military postal authorities.
Steps taken to expedite mail from
the United States to France, accord
ing to the statement, includes: The
turning over of complete military in
formation as to the location of troops
in France by the military authorities
to the military and domestic postal
officers; the issuance OF oders send
ing mail on every ship destined for
any port in France organized to re-
ceive mail, and the adoption of
scheme of designation for groups of
unattached soldiers sent from the
United States to replacement camps
in France. a.
"A complete postal system CORES
ponding to that in the United States
is now in operation in France with
a central postoffice located at Tours"
the = statement continues. This
service, except the distribution and
dispatch of mails to the United
States, is entirely under military
control
I'm view of the duplication of
names in the American expedition
AIRY forces, the absence of any dis
tinguishing designation for groups
of casual or replacement men has
been a source of difficulty in the de-
livery of mail. Thousands of sol
.diers are. being semitic France every
month from this country for replace
ment purposes. 1t is estimated that
100000 letters a month were delayed |
from this cause. This delay in de- !
livery will not occur under arrange
ments which have just been made |
to have each replacement unit of
$50 men, as it leaves camp in the
United States given a distinctive
company number, which it will re-
tain until it reaclfes a replacement |
camp in France. Every member of
such unit will then be one of $50
men instead Of one of 10000 men.
1.-THE matter of the address to in
sure prompt delivery is of vital i'm
pottance. The misspelling lof a
name, of the use of initials where
word should be spelled out, may not
only retard the delivery of a letter,
but may prevent its being delivered
at all. Many thousands of letters
are being constantly received which
cannot be promptly delivered, if de-
livered at all, on account of the man.
ner in which they are addressed.
"A letter for an American soldier
in Europe should be so addressed
as to show his rank. his full name,
including his middle name, his COM
pany or battery and his regiment, as
well as the branch of service"
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