The sun., 1919-01-11
TEN CARS OF MAIL
LYING IN FRANCE
Millions of Letters to Men
Overseas Will Be Sent to
"Dead" Office.
BLAME WAR DEPARTMENT
Need Experienced Force, Says
Praeger-Urges Air Post
Extension Here.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-From eight to
ten carloads OF mail for American SOL
diers are undelivered in France Second
Assistant Postmaster-General Praeger
told the Senate Post ONCE Committee to-
day. and thousands and probably mill
lions" OF letters 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
the'' 20 the writers.
Blame for the failure TO deliver this
mail was placed on the War Department
by Mr.. Praeger, VINO again explained
that the army authorities handle all
soldiers mail in France. the Post Office
Department delivering outgoing mail at
Hoboken and receiving returning mail
at the French ports.
Experienced Clerks Needed.
Mr. Praeger said one way to improve
conditions overseas would be to send a
force Of experienced mail clerks to
France to deliver the mail TO the soldiers
Members Of the committee sought TO as
certain whether there was any delay at
French ports in handling mail coming
to this country.
THE trouble does not lie at the ports"
declared Mr.. Praeger
1T lies in the interior. The mail gets
tied up somewhere between army head
quarters censors and the ports"
Mr.. Praeger told the committee that
one reason for the confusion in the de-
livery OF mail to soldiers was the failure
Of the War Department to keep up its
index system. This same cause he de-
clared. also was responsible for the De-
nartments delay In sending out allot-
ments to soldiers and In reporting
casualties
Another source OF delay in delivering
mail promptly, he added, was the trans
terring OF units OF troops from one port
to another but he said this should cause
only few days delay. as the mail could
readily be forwarded to the moving
troops.
Facilities for Work.
Asked what facilities the War De-
partment had for handling mail, Mr.
Praeger said about fifty experienced
mail clerks were sent by that Depart
ment overseas, while the rest of the
necessary force for this work was made
up OF inexperienced men.
The Second Assistant Postmaster
General appeared before the committee
to urge appropriations OF $4,000. 600 for
the maintenance and development OF
the aerial mail service. He predicted n
great future Cor this service and de-
clared extensive plans for developing
aerial mail facilities are being made by
France. England and Canada the latter
now planning the establishment of an
airplane route connecting Montreal with
Boston.
Extension OF the present air mail
service between Washington and New
York SO - to connect Boston with At
lanta is planned Mr.. Praeger said. In
addition II is also proposed to establish
routes connecting New York and Omaha,
Neb., via Chicago. and Boston with De-
troit, through Albany and Buffalo. Es-
Establishment OF these routes, he said,
would cost s2,034,0OO. while he esti-
mated the revenues would total s2,O50.-
les.
Replying to questions Of Senators Mr..
Praeger said the cost OF operating the
air mail service between Washington
and New York during the last six
months was s75,l65, while the revenues
totalled s60,653.