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Show More Gifts for Overseas Servicemen Based on increasing demand for gift items it is estimated that overseas over-seas servicemen and women will receive re-ceive 20 per cent more Christmas presents per capita this year than last, and the home folks may expect ex-pect an even larger percentage of reciprocal gifts, mostly of the luxury and sentimental type. This forecast was made by John C. Goodall, general gen-eral manager of the Merchandise Mart, Chicago, following a checkup among gift item manufacturers and distributors, including those who sell I 1 - rfciLrJ purchases of more available items will more than offset these. The number of gifts to come from service personnel abroad to relatives and friends at home is expected to be larger per capita because manufacturers manu-facturers and distributors, who sell to army and navy post exchanges, particularly in the Mediterranean area, already report rising sales to servicemen and women. More post exchanges, greater opportunity afforded af-forded servicemen to buy direct from the natives, who also sell to PX, is a factor now boosting sales. Other sales stimulants are that overseas over-seas servicemen and women, in high spirits themselves, are not so sure about the morale of the home-folk home-folk and seek to bolster it by gifts. Flusher with cash, and conscious of accumulated favors from home, the overseas contingent find themselves in an ideal spot to reciprocate. Among American made gift items most popular at overseas post exchanges ex-changes are pins, clips, earrings, vanity cases, many bearing the insignia in-signia of the various branches of the service. Ornate pillow tops and handkerchiefs, which embody delicately deli-cately worded sentiments, come to the aid of thousands of less articulate articu-late servicemen. Such items are prime favorites overseas as well. as at post exchanges at home. Necklaces, embroideries, pipes, laces, opal and topaz jewelry, metal met-al and leather handicraft of Latin and Oriental origin, is also in high favor. Watches, one of the top preferences pref-erences among all in the service, are relatively easy to get in the Mediterranean Med-iterranean area, since many of them come direct from Switzerland. The gifts servicemen may expect from the home folks parallel somewhat some-what those sent last year, although there will be a wider selection to choose- from. Furlough bags, small carry-all and sewing kits, duffle bags, wallets, religious medals, identification iden-tification bracelets, photo cases, pen and pencil sets, shaving equipment, insignia pieces, and of course cigarettes, ciga-rettes, are high on the preference .list of servicemen. Money belts are not expected to be as popular this year as last, while watertight pocket-size holders for miscellaneous personal things are in high vogue. Pocket-sized games such as checkers, cribbage, gin rummy, backgammon and acey ducey are similarly popular. While these gift items have general gen-eral popularity among the forces overseas as well as at home, a variety vari-ety of gift preferences is developing. develop-ing. A large number on the Pacific front, for instance, show partiality to such articles as knives, sun glasses and anti-sun and bug lotions. The growing number of service women is dictating the installation of women departments in post exchanges. ex-changes. Heavy orders for toiletries, toilet-ries, apparel items, and the more esthetic type of gifts are reported. Ernest J. Kreutgen, Chicago postmaster, post-master, (left) explains to George McCarthy, foreman In charge of foreign mail, how packages should be wrapped and addressed to get favored delivery service to men in the armed forces overseas. to retailers and army and navy post exchanges. Seasons given for the expected increase in-crease in the number of gifts sent this year overseas are: 1. The moved-up official mailing date, September 15 to October 15, extended to November 1, for those in the navy, marine corps and coast guard, will stimulate early shopping, and the five pound limitation on gift packages means more will be sent. 2. More stores have installed special spe-cial gift counters or departments which means more display, advertising, adver-tising, and sales. 3. The home folks are now better advised on the gift preferences of servicemen and women, and know more specifically where they are stationed, sta-tioned, hence can make their selections selec-tions more intelligently. 4. The overseas forces, operating on more fronts, and facing more varied climatic and geographical conditions, become eligible for a wider variety of gifts. The tendency to send more -gifts to those furthest from home also favors increased sales. While shortages short-ages at home are developing in such items as watches, leather novelties and jewelry, it is thought heavier |