The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-02
V Mail
Sent to China

CHI NGkING-UP Washing
ton has given United States troops
stationed in china two blows. both
or which emphasized the shortage
OF air transports and the strict mill.
iary priority in air transportation
between the /. : and China.
one order said that only 'Nmail'
will he sent Via air. Other letters,
| including even those aTmailed from
interior points in the 4. :, will be
sent TO India via boat and then by
air into China "Nmail' for China
will be processed in India and flown
on since processing facilities are
unavailable here.
(Nmail is photographed on mi
crohlm in the lnited States and -
then flown 10 processing centers
abroad, Where the negatives are
printed
The second blow ordered that no
packages can be shipped TO China
without written permission OF the
commanding officers in this theater
Of operations Permission will be
given only for necessities which are
not purchasab,e here but candy
and tobacco are outldwed.
one sergeant ruefully recalling
his arrival in China last year. said
he waited three months prior to lie
ceiying mail shipped by boat. be-
fore air service was iuaugurated.
Boy. this makes MS The last stop
on the main line he added
Civilian Mail Faster
Adding insult 10 injury, civilian
mail arrives nov in an. average 4
from - to % days, while expert
ence in India shows "N-mail' takes
three weeks 10 a month
one corpora here suggested the
Army might use the boats on the
short run to Africa for mail Civ
ing air priority to letters addressed
NJ men in china, who are certainly
the falthest distance from.home
HoVevr. officers who are more
philosophical merely express the
hope that The folks back home re
member to use N-mail'. Otherwise,
vel never get any.
"N-mail' has never been popular
wIth-lhe- men There is definitely
nothing romantic about a letter re-
printed from film which loses the
personality OF the sender. There's a
standing Army Joke about the ne
cesSity ofneeding a microscope to
read "Vmail' and disgruntled
choruses comment on tie decress-
ing size Of the letters.
VIII Miss Packages
The really bitter pill was the
order prohibiting gifts from home,
especially necessities. Post Ex-
change supplies are at a minimum
in china due TO the shortage OF air
transport and men celebrated when
ever packages arrived containing
small gifts, candy, tobacco, cakes,
cheese and other deliCaCies which
cannot ne purchased here.
Hell" said one officer. in Cairo.
India and Australia, the men can
get even whisky at night clubs, ice
cream SoGas and dance with beau.
iiful women. In China, we've got
New Life movement 10 keep NJ
pure, hut it's going to ne rough on
the New Life movement IL We 10
NOT Ret any more packages from
nome
\ tow headed soldier told me
lsnghinsly, Gee. my equipments
% b. but I'm sure going 10 miss tina
fudge my mother makes
We're IT question OF flying in
more vital war supplies, such az
bombs and gasoline. or packages.
most men here would east their
votes for bombs, since the greatest
morale builder is the chance TO see
action
In months OF contact with the
L. :. Air Force. I've noticed the
brightest days are The mail days,
hut ihe brightest periods are when
the men are. on MISSIONS several
times week and the gloomiest
pc riOds when they are grounded