OVERSEAS MAIL
SITUATION BAD
Ten carloads for Delivery to Men in France Undelivered, Says Assistant Postmaster.
AVERS ARMY AT FAULT
War Department Fails to Keep Up Index System--Experienced Clerks Needed.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.--From eight to 10 carloads of mail for American soldiers are undelivered in France, Second Assistant Postmaster Praeger told the senate postoffice committee today, and "thousands, and probably millions" 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 them to the writers. Blame for the failure to deliver this mail was placed on the war department by Mr. Praeger, who again explained that the army authorities handle all soldier's mail at the French ports. Mr. Praeger said one way to improve conditions overseas would be to send a force of experienced mail clerks to France to delvier the mail to the soldiers.
Trouble Lies in Interior.
"The trouble does not lie at the French ports," declared Mr. Praeger. "It lies in the interior. The mail gets tied up somewhere between army headquarters, censors and the ports." Mr. Praeger told the committee that one reason for the confusion in the delivery of mail to soldiers was the failure of the war department to keep up its index system. This same cause, he declared, also was responsible for the department's delay in sending out allotments to soldiers and in reporting causualties. Another source of delay in delivering mail promptly, he 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 forwarded to the moving troops. Mr. Praeger said about 50 experienced mail clerks were sent by that department overseas while the remainder 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 $3,000,000 for the maintenance and development of the aerial mail service. He predicted a great future for this service and declared that 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.
Would Extend Air Service.
Extention of the present air mail service between Washington and New York so as to connect Boston with Atlanta is planned, Mr. Praeger said. In addition it is also proposed to establish toutes connecting New York and Omaha, Neb., via Chicago, and Boston with Detroit through Albany and Buffalo. Establishment of these routes, he said, would cost $2,034,000, while he estimated the revenue would total $2,050,125. 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 $75,165, while the revenues totaled $60,653.