Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-10
HOW TO. MAIL
HOLIDAY PARCELS
TOFRONT LINES
Official Directions Given For
Sending Christmas Pres
ents to the Soldiers

The War Department is desirous
that each man serving in the Amer
ican Expeditfonary Forces in Europe
shall receive remembrance from
home at Christmas time, and ad-
vises because of transportation and
distribution difficulties but one par
eel of standard size and weight can
be sent to each. To this end arrange
ments have been made with the War
Department whereby Christmas par
cells may be mailed to members of
the American Expeditionary Forces
in Europe under the following con-
ditions:
l. Each soldier or other member
of the American Expeditionary
Forces in Europe will be allowed to
receive one Christmas parcel for
which purpose he will be furnished,
through army channels, a Christ.
mas Parcel Label bearing the cor
rect name and address of the SOL
dier or member and also the name
of the person designated to mail
the parcel. The labels will be pre-
pared to serve as address labels for
the parcels. The label furnished
each soldier or other member of the
American EXpeditionary Forces win
be sent by him to the person who is
to mail the Christmas parcel. No
Christmas parcel for members of the
American EXpeditionary Forces in
Europe will be accepted for trans
mission without such label.
2. All Christmas parcels must be
of standard size, three inches by
four inches, and shall not exceed
three pounds in weight, for which
purpose cartons of the size pre-
scribed will be distributed through
the local Red Cross Chapters
throughout the country. No person
will be furnished a carton except
upon presentation of "a Christmas
Parcel Label received from abroad.
3. The parcels must contain no
prohibited or unmailable articles.
Perishable food products are not
| permitted.
4. After the cartons have been
/ filled by the persons who receive
them, they shall be returned to a
Red Cross receiving station where
, inspectors appointed by the Red
J. Cross will carefully examine each
parcel and supervise its wrapping
and the affixing of the Christmas
Parcel Label and the necessary
postage stamps, the latter to be fur
nished by the sender of the parcel.
When the parcels have thus been
packed and wrapped and otherwise
prepared for transmission, the Red
Cross will affiX to each parcel a GER
tificate in the form of a seal show
ing that the parcel has been in
spected and contains no prohibited
or unavailable matter. Such certifi-
Gates will be accepted by the Pos
tai Service and Army authorities as
evidence that the parcels conform to
the conditions prescribed and OBJ
viate the necessity of subsequent ex-
animation. The parcels must be left
at the Red Cross receiving stations
which will deposit them in the mails
for dispatch.
5. Christmas parcels must bear
the name and address of the sender
and will be addressed substantially
as follows!
Christmas Parcels for American
Expeditionary Forces in Europe.
christmas Box Department,
Port of Embarkation, Hoboken,
New Jersey.
For.
Organization .............
American EXpeditionary Forces"
Parcels SO addressed will be
.chargeable with postage at the
fourth class or parcel post zone rate
applicable between the office where
mailed and Hoboken, New Jersey. to
be prepaid by stamps affixed.
6. Parcels may bear inscriptions
such as please do not open until
Christmas. Merry Christmas
"Happy New Year" with Best
Wishes and the like.
z. In order to assure the arrival
of Christmas parcels abroad and
the delivery to the addresses by
Christmas all such parcels must be
mailed on or before November 20.
1918.
The foregoing does not in any way
change the instructions heretofore
issued regarding the acceptance oil
parcels up to seven pounds in weight
for members of the American Ex-
peditionary Forces in Europe which
contain articles sent in response to
the written request of a member,
approved by his regimental COM
mander or other officer authorized
to approve such requests.
Christmas Parcels For Omcers ana
Men In the u. S. Naval Service
The Navy Department has ad-
vised that parcels intended for OFF,
GERS and men on United states naval
vessels in home waters and abroad
or stationed at naval bases or sta
tions in foreign waters should con-
form to the following conditions:
1. Parcels may not exceed tWen-
tv pounds in weight and must be so
prepared for mailing that the con-