The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-03
TROOPS IN CHINA.
TO GET ONLY.
|V-MAIL" BY AIR.
ny ROBERT r. MARTIN
United Press stan Correspondent

United Press stan CorFespondent)
Chuneking --CUP)-- washington
has given United states troops sta.
toned In China two blows, both Of
which emphasized the shortage Of
air transports and the strict military
priority In air transportation be-
tween the q. s. and China.
One order said that only "v.mall"
will be sent via air, Others letters,
including even those airmailed from
interior points In the U. s., viii be
sent to India via boat and then BY
air into China. "V-mail" for China
will be processed In India and flown
on, since processing facilities are
unavailable here.
(V-mail Is photographed on mi.
crofllm In the United states and Is
then flown TO processing centers
abroad, where the negatives are
prlntedO
The second blow ordered that no
packages can be shipped to China
without written permission OF the
commanding ofiicers In this theater
Of theater Of operations. Permission
win be given only for necessities
which are not purchasable here, but
candy and tobacco are outlawed.
One sergeant ruefully recalling
his arrival In China last year, said
he waited three months prior to re-
ceiving mail shipped by boat, before
air service was inaugurated. "Boy,"
this makes Us the last stop on the
main line," he added.
Civilian Mall Faster
Adding insult to injury, civilian
mail arrives now In an average Of
from IS to 40 days, while experience
In India shows 'V-mail" takes three
weeks to month.
One corporal here suggested the
Army might use the boats on the
short run to Africa for mail, Civ
ing air priority to letters addressed
to men In China, who are certainly
the farthest distance from home.
However, offlcers who are more
philosophical merely express the
hope that the folks back home re-
member to use 'V-mail.' Otherwise,
we'll never get any"
"V.mail" has never been popular
with the men. There Is definitely
nothing romantic about letter re.
printed from film which loses the
personality Of the sender. There's q
standing Army joke about the ne
cessity Of needing microscope to
read "V-mair' and disgruntled Choir
uses comment on the decreasing size
Of the letters.
WIN Miss Packages
The really bitter pill was the or
der prohibiting gifts from home, es-
peciAlly necessities. Post Exchange
supplies are at minimum In China
due to the shortage Of air transport
and men celebrated whenever pack
ages arrived containing small gifts,
candy, tobacco, cakes, cheese and
other delicacieS which cannot be
purchased here.
HELL" said one offlcer, elm Cairo,
India and Australia, the men can
get even whiSkey at night clubs, ice
cream sodas and dance with beau
tiful women. In China, we've got q
New Life movement to keep us
pure, but it's going to be rough on
the New Life movement II we do
not get any more packages from
home"
A tow-headed soldier told me
laughingly, Gee, my equipments o,
k, but I'm sure going to miss that
fudge my mother makes"
Were It a question Of flying in
more vital war supplies, such as
bombs and gasoline, or packages,
most men here would cast their votes
for bombs, since the greatest morale
builder Is the chance to see action.
In months Of contact with the u.
s. Air Force, I've noticed the bright
est days are the mail days, but the
brightest periods are when the men
are on missions several times q week,
and the gloomiest periods when they
are grounded.