The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-11
WAR OFFICIALS
BLAMED FOR
DELAYED MAIL
Probably Millions of Letters for
+ Soldiers Undelivered
INEXPERIENCED CLERKS
From Eight to Ten Carloads OF Let
ters Now in France Must Go to
Dead Letter Office.

Washington, Jan. l0-From eight
to ten carloads of mail for American
soldiers are undelivered in France,
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Praeger told the Senate postoiiice
committee today, and thousands and
probably millions" of letters address
I'd 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 writer's.
Blame for the failure to deliver this
mail was paced on the war depart.
ment by Mr.. Praeger who again ex.
planned that the army authorities
handle all soldiers mail in France. the
postofllce department delivering out
going mail at IIoboken and receiving
returning mail at the French ports.
Mr.. Praeger said one way to i'm
prove conditions overseas would be
to send force OF experienced mail
clerks to France to deliver the mail
to the soldiers.
Members Of the committee sought
to ascertain where there was any de.
lay at French ports in handling NAH
coming to this counry.
THE trouble does not lie at the
ports declared Mr. Praeger. 1T lies
In the interior. The mail gets tied up
somewhere between army headquart,
ers and the ports"
Mr.. Praeger told the committee that
one reason for the confusion In the de
livery of mail to soldiers was in the
failure of the war department TO keep
up its index system. This same cause
he declared, also was responsible for
the departments delay in sending out
allotments to soldiers and reporting
casualties.
| Another source OF delay in deliver
ing mail promptly, le added. was the
transferring of units OF troops from
one port 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 had for handling mail, Mr.
| Praeger said about fifty experienced
mail clerks were sent by that depart
ment overseas, while the remainder oil
the necessary force for this work was
made up of inexperienced men.
The second assistant postmaster
general appeared before the commit
tee to urge appropriations of $4,000, ,O0(
for the maintenance and development
of the aerial mail service. He pre-
dicted great future for this servic,
and declared that extensive plans fol
developing aerial mail facilities arr
being made by France, England ant
Canada. the latter now planning thu
, establishment OF an airplane route
connecting Montreal with Boston.
Extension Of the present air mai
, service between Washington so as Il
connect Boston with Atlanta is plan
ned, Mr. Praeger said. In addition, /
is also proposed to establish route
connecting New York and Omaha
Neb.. via Chicago and Boston witt
Detroit, through Albany and Buffalo
Establishment OF these routes, h
. said. would cost s2,OS4, 900 while he e
timated the revenues would total 81
! 050, ,125.
Replying to questions of senators
Mr.. Praeger said the cost OF oncratin
the air mail service between Wasl
A ington and New York, during the las
six months was $75,165, while tn
revenue totallcd $60,653.