The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-01-16
OVERSEAS mail
ALL BALLED UP
POsTOFF4CE FOLK PASS BUCK
TO WAR DEPARTMENT.
Letters Coming Back
To This Country
Millions May Be Returned to United
States Failing to Reach
Soldiers.

Washington, Jan. 5O.-From eight
to ten car loads of mail for Ameri-
can soldiers are undeliyered in
France, Second Assistant Postmaster
Otto Praeger told the senate post
Office committee today, and "thous-
ands and probably millions" of let
ters addressed to the men overseas
will arrive in New York soon to be
sent to the dead letter Office when
an attempt will be made to return
to the writer's.
Blame for the failure to deliver
this mail was placed on the war de-
partment by Mr.. Praeger, who again
explained that the army authorities
handle all soldiers mail in
France, the postofice delivering
outgoing mail at Hoboken and re-
ceiving returning mail at the French
ports.
Mr.. Praeger said one way to i'm
prove conditions overseas would be
to send a force Of experienced mail
clerks to France to deliver the mail
to the soldiers. Il
Members of the committee sought
to ascertain whether there was any
delay at French ports in handling
mail coming to this country.
Not at Ports.
THE trouble does not lie at the
ports," declared Mr.. Praeger. 1T
lies somewhere between army head
quarters, censors and the ports"
Mr.. Praeger told the committee one
reason for the confusion in the de-
livery of mail to soldiers was the fail
ure of the war department to keep
up it's index system. This same cause,
he declared, also was responsible for
the departments delay in sending out
allotments to soldiers and in report
ing casualties.
Another source of delay in deliver
ing mail promptly, he added, was the
transferring 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 forward
ed to- the moving troops.
Asked what facilities the war de-,
partment has for handling mail, Mr..
Praeger said about so experienced
mail clerks were sent by that depart
ment overseas while the remainder
of the necessary force for this work
was made up of inexperienced men.
The second assistant postmaster
general appeared before the commit
tee to urge an appropriation of 3d.
100000 for the maintenance and de-
velopment of the aerial maid ser
vice.
Future in Air.
He predicted great future for
this service and declared extensive
plans for developing aerial mail ia
| cilities are being made by France,
England and Canada, the latter now
planning the establishing of an air
route connecting Montreal with Bos-
ton.
Extension of the present air mail
service between Washington and New
York so as to connect Boston with
Atlanta is planned, Mr.. Praeger said.
In addition it is also proposed to
establish routes connecting New York
and Omaha, via Chicago and Boston,
with Detroit through Albany and
Buffalo. Establishment of these
routes, he said, would cost s2,034,-
600 while he estimated the revenues
would total s2,o60,125.
Replying to questions of senators,
Mr.. Praeger said, relative to the cost
of operating the air mail service be-
tween Washington and New York
during the last six months was $751;
165, while the revenues totalled $780,
653.
75O of the second loan, S19,426,250
of the third loan, and S37,1i7,95O,
x~{n Nf