The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-07-25

lnk-eYerythlng except ideas are fur
nished in the "Y" huts which follow
the soldier to the firing line.
The most important factor about a
letter or package to a soldier is the ad-
dress. The full name, company, and
regiment of the man addressed should
always be given, followed by the name
and location of his camp or the words
American Expeditionary Forces" as
the case may demand. American Ex-
peditionary Forces should always be
spelled in full as A. E. E. may be tax
en- to mean Australian Expeditionary
Forces. The soldier is also advised to
avoid other authorizations and initials in
the addresses, to write clearly and in
ink, and to place his own full name and
address in the upper left hand corner
of the envelope. Envelopes and wrap
ping paper of good quality should be
used, especially if the mail is going
overseas, as cheap paper tears easily
and does not retain the address so clear
ly.
All these instructions have been print
ed many times and posted in conspi-
cuous places. Yet thousands of let
tiers incompletelY addressed are sent out
trustfully to the soldiers every dav.
Some of these finally reach the ad-
dressee after much trouble and delay to
the government. Those not deliverable
which bear the sender's address are re-
turned. But many unfortunate epistles
and gifts can neither be sent on nor re-
turned, and these find lodging in the
dead letter office. Some of the lost
packages have been turned over to the
Red Cross or military hospitals for use
by Ill and wounded soldiers and sailors
The bulk of mail properly addressed
reaches the soldier in this country with.
out delay and an immense part of over
seas mail gets to France for delivery in
seventeen days after leaving Chicago
or New York. Thirty days should, how
ever, be allowed as the approximate
time needed to send letter to soldier
abroad Delays in delivery abroad may
be due to any of a number of possible
causes. Mail is dispatched once or
twice a week according to sailings.
Thus letter may be held up from three
to seven days in waiting for a steamer
or transport. Then it may be sent on a
steamer taking twenty-one days to
cross, instead of one taking twelve
days, or French liner taking only ten
days. When 1t reaches port it may be
carried Immediately or it may be held
some days before cars can be released
to handle mail.
When we opened the postal service in
France, any part of the American lines
could be reached IN two DAYS; now 1t
takes three. and will probably take six
to distribute mail to the farthest Amerl-
can lines. If the soldier is away from
his company on detach duty or has been
transferred to another organization, his
mail must go to General Pershing's
headquarters to be readdressed. In
these and other ways letters may be
delayed in reaching their destination
even if addressed fully. This should be
kept in mind by the sender who expects
an answer in two weeks and is ANXIOUS
because John writes that he does not
hear from home often enough. A dozen
of Johns letters may reach him all at
once.
1t costs the government 100000 a
month to maintain the postal service
! for soldiers in France alone. 1t is ex-
pected and desired that friends and
relatives write to the men abroad, but
the generosity and lavishness of Amer
lea made the problem of gifts for sol
diers overseas desperate one Thou
sands of tons of packages loaded down
the transports and crowded out guns,
soldiers and rations. At Christmas
time no limitations were attempted
The Post Office Department accepted
cheerfully the responsibility of ninety
four cargoes of presents and delivered
ninety of the ninety-four on Christmas
morning. But after the Christmas
rush, when sympathetic friends insisted
on sending chewing gum and candy
across In the delusion that France did
not produce such articles, the War
Department requested the Post Office
Department to ask the public to re-
| trench.
The result was the order issued this
spring to the effect that no packages
can be mailed to forces overseas ex-
cept those accompanied by a specific
request for the article enclosed. writ
ten by the man to whom the package
is addressed. and approved by an officer
of rank not lower than that of major.
This ruling, designed to cut down the
sending of unnecessary gifts, has re-
duced parcel post shipments to almost
nothing. The ruler does not discriIni-
nate against the enlisted man in favor
of the officer. A major wishing an
article from home must have his re-