| Show lits lit's I Its It's Time to fo Send Your Presents to Servicemen Christmas Mail Month Is Sept 15 to Oct 1 15 I Privilege Granted ran e eOn i On Overseas Gifts During This Period ergo The volume of Christmas mail mall going overseas to men me and women in the armed forces this year will reach a anew anew new high the office of war information information information in in- formation predicts Approximately uniformed uniformed uni uni- formed men and women in the army and navy postal services servI I l ices are preparing for their I biggest job that job that of moving an estimated packages packages pack pack- ages of Christmas presents three times as many as last I year to the military men and andI women overseas I Army postal officers are preparing preparing J ing ng their organization to move about I j 1 twice as many Christmas parcels as were handled In 1943 when holiday packages were sent abroad The Thc navy mail service expects i nearly four times the volume of gifts J handled In 1943 through fleet t post o offices in New York and San Fran Fran- cisco isco c A total of packages i went through h the fleet post offices 1 last year of them to advanced ad i bases or ships at sea and to ships putting in at American AmerIcan Amer Amer- I ican Ilan ports The service postal organizations can handle this enormous volume i more easily with a little assistance i from Crom friends and relatives of soldiers soldiers soliers sol sol- sol sol- t d diers and sailors In 1943 the army post office transmitted more than 20 i million holiday packages and an additional additional ad ad- d 75 million to million i pieces of miscellaneous mail The navy moved approximately parcels overseas last Christmas and approximately four million packages to personnel on onshore onshore l shore stations in the United States l and more than 80 million letters t and Christmas cards during the Christmas mail period last year The army and navy intend tomake to tomake tomake make every effort to deliver every Christmas gift overseas on time and intact But a sailor will not be cheered i if the gift he receives from his mother mother for for example an expensive expensive sive ive s wristwatch proves proves to have been ruined because it was completely completely com corn buried in a box of cookies that have crumbled in transit the navy said Distances heat cold sand dampness damp damp- n ness ess fleet or combat operations and the fortunes of war are hazards that complicate the delivery of all mail overseas even without the Christmas rush The only factor in Christmas gift delivery over which the sender has control is the type and condition of the parcel when it leaves his hands the army and navy emphasized Mall Regulations 1 Christmas mail mall month will comprise comprise com com- prise the day 30 period from September Sep Sep- ember 15 to October 15 1944 19 for all those in the armed services over over- seas This period Is the only time dm- dm ing which packages may be sent to soldiers overseas without a specific written request from the soldier or without an APO cancellation Only one package may be sent by or on behalf of the same person or concern to or for the swine same sae soldier In one one week during daring this month 2 Mark the package Christmas Parcel using a label that docs does not resemble a postage mark or stamp 3 3 The Thc package must weigh not more than five pounds wrapped and must be no longer than 15 ig r nv 41 I F a t 2 F w at g. g f I v JL L. L Lf L d Whenever the presents arrive is Christmas to soldiers across the sea Sometimes the army and na navy postal services deliver the goods sooner soone r than expected as happened last year In Italy when packages from Crom fro m rm home arrived late in November The boys opened them up at once since sine they didn't know what they'd be doing or where they'd be on Christmas s Day Its It's safest to mail early however because unforeseen delays ca can n come corne along any time Inches In length and 36 Inches in length and girth combined The army army recommends that the package container be a box of metal wood or solid corrugated ted fiberboard reinforced with strong gummed paper tape or tied with strong twine or both Standardized boxes for mailing Christmas gifts to military personnel personnel personnel person person- nel overseas will probably be on the market by September 1 I the War Production board reported Approximately Approximately special applications applications applications for the purchase by retailers and box jobbers of these boxes have been filed with said that the standard boxes are to be of pound tested corrugated paperboard paperboard paperboard paper- paper board 12 by 6 by 4 inches in regulation slotted carton style with taped manufacturers' manufacturers joints The post office department has recommended recommended recommended mended that gummed flaps be supplied supplied supplied sup sup- plied with the boxes for sealing the parcels reported Blanks for address and return address address address ad ad- dress will appear on the panels of the box also the statement this box to be used only for sending merchandise to a member of the armed forces outside the United States 4 4 Address the package completely complete complete- ly 1 and aud legibly Print the address so that it will not run streak smudge or fade Place an additional copy of oC the address and return address inside the package so that if il it comes apart or the wrapper is torn soiled or lost the additional copy may be used Do not use gummed labels for addressing The army and nav navy point out that they know what not to send overseas overseas overseas over over- seas for Christmas on the basis of past experience But what to send is another thing altogether In general general general gen gen- eral soldiers and sailors and others others others oth oth- ers like gifts that are unobtainable where they are and remind them with special significance of home What Not to Send The services advise generally against sending articles that may be obtained by sailors in ships' ships service service service ice stores or by soldiers in post ex- ex r r r j r r 3 iE Packages get rough handling handlin all along the way ay and unless they are arc securely wrapped and tied they may be damaged in transit Here Is a scene In the New York postoffice showing how busy sorters toss parcels Into the hand The bi big pile in the rear consists of packages that are arc corn coming in undone undone the the string working off or the wrapping loose By the time your gifts have made the long trip In a mall sack they have been subjected to a lot of bouncing around on the railroad and boat The last stage may be made in a jeep or airplane changes But soap for example which is available in most post exchanges exchanges ex ex- changes is a valued gift particularly particularly particularly for soldiers on the move forin for forin forin in advancing they sometimes outdistance outdistance outdistance out out- distance f for r hours or days even mobile mobile mo mo- mobile bile post exchanges Perishable le foods intoxicants weapons poisons and Inflammables including matches and lighter fluids are taboo and will not be accepted d for mailing overseas A navy postal officer stationed d overseas wrote During the Christmas Christmas Christ mas rush we kept a considerable e force of men busy parcels parcels par par- cels eels and salvaging everything fit fa for r forwarding A very great service S could be rendered to us out here if it the widest possible publicity could lout d be given to these matters The people should be warned notto not notto no noto t to send liquids of any kind The They should use every possible precaution n In packing powder of any kind Fruit t is not only dangerous to their ow own m mail but it causes serious damage damage damage dam dam- age to the other fellows fellow's mail Warn them about candy melting fruit cakes and cookies crumble and delay de de- cay lay Above all the fact should be stressed that mail sacks can be baked in the hot sun and drenched in transit all in the same day The navy has found that unsuitable unsuitable able gifts include leather these mold In the tropics chocolates chocolates choco choco- lates these melt cigarettes obtaInable obtainable obtainable ob ob- more cheaply In hi ships' ships stores cameras forbidden electrical electrical elec elec- equipment there may be no electricity available food unless unless ss tinned liquor clothing unless re re- quested Fragile articles and soft candies and pastries are poor gifts for obvious obvious obvious ob ob- reasons the army reported Gifts Poorly Wrapped The army cautioned that boxes of miscellaneous gifts gilts should be packed carefully Razor blades for example require e extra wrapping Numerous cases have been recorded recorded recorded re re- corded of improperly wrapped razor blades working through packages In 1943 19 approximately 15 per cent of the Christmas mail handled bythe bythe by bythe the navy was delayed in transit because be- be because be cause of incorrect or incomplete addressing the navy reported One navy postal officer wrote fr from tn the Pacific theater I l I It It needs no considerable stretch stretch of your our imagination to understand how mail looks after it has been shipped for thousands of miles bywater by bywater bywater water then worked and shipped again reworked and reshipped until until until un un- un- un til it arrives at a Fleet Post office for directory service By this time any of the parcel post that was at atall atall atall all inclined to be perishable Is thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- decomposed causing damage damage dam dame age to mails adjacent nt Only today we dumped up a sack containing the contents of a parcel which had come entirely apart There were rotten apples decayed oranges melted candy and stale cake crumbs throughout the entire sack This happens all too fre fre- A great deal of it was originally poorly wrapped Many parcels have sticker addresses The sacks may have become wet in transit causing causing causing caus caus- ing the labels to come off oft Frequently Frequently Frequently Fre Fre- these stickers have been hurriedly slapped on leaving tiny air pockets beneath them Friction in transit causes these to wear off ofT in All too spots often otten addresses are in pencil or if it in ink the ink has become wet and illegible Again this year soldiers overseas will be able to select gifts for the folks back home from the mail mall order order or or- der catalogue operated by the army exchange service special services d division vision Listed gifts include mens men's toiletries haberdashery leather goods luggage games including playing cards books magazine subscriptions sub sub- subscriptions dolls toys doll dishes stuffed animals smokers' smokers supplies candy perfumes cosmetics and lingerie |
