New-York tribune., 1918-08-26
letters in France and that they haven't
gotten any mail from nVerseas

letters in France and that they haven't
gotten any mail from overseas.
No Word From Brother
Miss Fannie Kaplin, 612 Second
Avenue, reported that she has not yet
heard from her brother, Meyer Kaplin,
who has been in France four months
She said she had written to him every
week. but that she doesn't know
whether he received any of her letters.
Mrs. j. Birnie, 1927 Evergreen Ave
nue., Brooklyn, declared that she
hadn't heard from her son, John Bir-
ME, for five weeks. Early in July she
got letter from him, she said, in
which he asserted that he had received
she had sent him.
Mrs. Joseph Holahan, 423 Amity
Street, Flushing, said she has received
but small part of the letters from
her husband, Captain Joseph Holahan,
of Company X of the 307th Infantry,
and that he has not received many of
Ter letters. She said she got letter
that he mailed in June before she
received one he sent her in April
Postmaster Thomas g., Pattcn de
c!ared that the Postotfice Department
never had anything to do with over
seas mail, and this statement was
tendent Of the Railway Mail Service of
the postolfice who explained how SOL
diers' mail was handled Mr.. Schardt
also pointed out that a frequent cause
OF letter delay was incorrect, incom-
plete or llegible addressing of enve-
lopes and failure to put the name and
address of the sender on the envelope.
The army took over control of the
mail service on June and had assumed
full control by July /. Army control
was deemed necessary not because of
any failure on the part of postoffice
employees, but because military author-
ties alone knew the disposition of var-
Gus American units in France and did
not consider it wise to share this
knowledge with civilians. The follow
, ing cable messages sent by General
Pershlng to Secretary Baker on july
10 explain how the commander an
alyzed the situation and the steps he
took to improve it:
he following steps have been taken
to improve the mail service: First
quest was made that different direc-
tories of mail be shipped to certain
designated ports where arrangements
have been made for It's reception. Cap
tain Frazier, an officer with extended
postal experience, understanding the
conditions here, and the postal organi-
zaton within the American Exped-
tionary forces, is returning to the
United States to supervise shipment
of mail from ports of embarkation, to
arrange that the postofficc of New York
City and other distributing centres re-
ceive the military information neces-
sary to arrange proper sacking of
mails, to instruct troops about to en-
bark regarding required postal organi-
cations within their units, and to ar
range publicity as to the necessary
method Of addressing soldiers mail
Second. transportation in France. suit
able military postal organizations have
been established at each port of de-
barkation where it is expected to
receive mail. Railroad mail service is
being established in postal cars, which
are assigned to the American postal
service along our lines of commune
cations.
"Installaton of this service will be
completed August l. Third, reclassifca-
ton Of mail for casuals and detache ed
soldiers. A central postoffice, with in
creased facilities for redrecting and
forwarding of all misdirected or in
sufficiently addressed mail, has been
established in connection with the cen
trail records office, where full informal
ton is obtainable as to the movement
OF troops and addresses Of Individuals y