Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-05
The Posi- Office and the Missing Man.
~ rf.a.-p d, Hassin

Washington, Jar. <.--Wnl finyY
plan to help locate nisssng persons
has resulted no far in ~ jafRe amount
Of correspondence for the Postofiice
Department. some re- -un.ted families
and a few puzzled postrlasters, who
have searched tbs posts regulations
in vain for Instructions shovirg how
10 proceed In a search for missing
relatives.
Mr. Hays has no idea. 1t seems, OF
turning the l'ostoffice Department !nto
n cofnplete detective agency. II mere
ly OCCURRED TO him ono day that Il
was father cold -blooded 10 turn down
by form letter, requests for help in
locating lost husbands and wandering
sons
Pleas for help IN such cases have al
ways come TO the government. Many
people seem TO rhink that the Post
office Department has a huge alpha
bctical file OF all the persons in the
United States AS matter OF fact It
has no such list. Nor have the local
( postoffices any card catalogues OF the
populations they serve. The only
reference list TO which postmaster
can refer in delivering mail to persons
whose address Is unknown is the
city directory--the same book that is
available to the public In drug stores
lgbraries and hotels all over the city
Incidentally. there is also q popular
belief that the Census Bureau has an
alphabetical list OF tho population, and
as a result the bureau reoc.ves large
nurhbt Of requests for addresses oi
MISSING persons. The Census Bureau
Of course, has no way OF giving these
persons any satiyfaction. h Tfe record:
taken by the bureau enufnerators are
positively confidential.
The State Department % a third
government office that has often beer
asked to help locate the missing, es-
pecialIy by foreigners The State De
partrnent almost never tries 70 trace
persons in this country wher,
foreigners are searching for lost reIa
tives they are generally referred q
their consuls In this country
So. in the past, seekers for M ssini
relatives have received scapt hell
from the government. Mr.. Hays con
sidered the rule which says that post
masters may not give out information
concerning the names and addresse
Of persons using the mails. Ho -ecog
nized that the rule is wis, in nat
|, insurcs TO persons using the mail
/. protection against annoys nee. Tha
was the purpose Of the regulatic.l an
the postmaster general had no desir
TO change IT. Every one who enerust
, letters to the United States mails /
I assured that employees are not sllowe
? to tamper with them. and the reg,ila
|. ton Is safeguarded by heavy pena1
a ties
o But IL relatives who were separate
r by accident could be brou ght tor eths
: without violating the spirit Of the ru
ing, Mr.. Hays decided that the servlt
n rendered would be valuable 10 the pull
. lie.
!. Hays Plan.
Mr.. Hays plan is simple Tho.
e who are eager TO locate missing rel:
. tives go to their local postmaster
. person and consult with him, givin
. such facts as the last city where II
: missing man or woman lived, nam
description, and why it Is desired
4 get in touch with him or her
d This last is especially important.
!. Is the main reason why the seeker
o urged TO go direct to the postma ste
[ instead OF writing letter. The Pos
& office Department has no intention
helping to locate persons who a.
!. being sought for the purpose OF co
!? lecttng debts. nor. does II wish to pu
:. sue persons who do not desire o
II found