The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-11
WAR DEPARTMENT BLAMED FOR NOT
 DELIVERING MAIL
Many Carloads of Mail for Men in France Remain Undelivered, Praeger
 Tells Senate
By Associated Pres.

Washington January 10.--From e,shr to carloads of mall for American soldiers are undelvered in France. second Assist ant Postmaster General Praeger told the Senate postolfice committee today, and thousands and probably millions" of let. tera addressed to the men overseas will arrive in New York soon to be sent to the dead letter office where an attempt will be made to return them to the writers.
 Blame for the failure to deliver this mail was placed the war department by MT. Praeger. who again explained that the army authorities handle all sol diers' mail in France, the postoffice de- pertinent delivering outgoing mail at IIo- boken and receiving returning mail al the French ports
 Mr Praeger said one way to improve conditions overseas would he to send forGY of experienced mail clerks to France to Aeliver the mail to the soldiers
 Members of the committee sought to ascertain whether there was any delay at French ports in handling mail com ing to this country.
 @The trouble does not lie at the ports" declared NIT. Praeger. Tt lies in the interior The mail gets tied up some vfere between army headquarters, cen sors and the ports.
 MT Praeger told the committee one reason for the confusion in the delivery of mail to soldiers was the failure of the war department to keep up it's index system. This same cause, he declared, also was responsible for the depa artment's delay in sending out allotnents to sol diers and in reporting casualties
 Another source of delay in delivering mail promptly. he added, was the trans ferring of units of troops from one point to another but he said this should cause only a few days delay as the mail could readily be forwarded to the moving troops
 ONLY 50 EXPERIENCED MEN
 Asked what facilities the war depart mt had for handling mail, Mir Praeger said about 30 experienced mail clerks were sent by that department overseas while the remainder of the necessary force for this work was made up of in- experienced men
 The second assistant Postmaster Gen. eral appeared before the committee to urge appropriation of & oOO,OnO for the maintenance and development of the aerial mail service. He predicted great future for this service and declared ex- ter sive plans for developing aerial mai. facilities are being made by France, Eng land and Canada. the latter now plan ming the establishment of an airplane route connecting Montreal with Boston.
 Extension of the present air mail ser vice between Washington and New York go as to connect Boston with Atlanta is planned. Mir. Praeger said. In ad- dition 1t is also proposed to establish routes connecting New York and Omaha, Neb via Chicago. and Boston with De- troit, through Albany and Buffalo. Es- tablishment of these routes, he said, would cost s2,034,0O0, while he estimated the revenues ould total s2,O50.125.
 Replying to questions of senators, MT Praeger said, relative to the cost of oper- atirg the air mail service between Wash ireton and New York during the last six months was s75165. while the rev erues totalled ss0.s5