Show P. P O. O Regulation on Mail for Armed Forces During recent months complaints complaint from the public of oC delayed or lost los mall addressed to members of oC the thi armed forces Indicate that there 1 Is wide misunderstanding of how this thi mail Is handled and of the difficulties difficulties difficulties ties encountered in Its delivery Mall Mail for members of the armed forces is delivered b by the Postal Posta Service to Army and Navy authorities authorities ties at post ost offices convenient to tc camps or stations in this countr country or to ports of oC embarkation when addressed to persons overseas The Postal Service then has no further jurisdiction over the mall and responsibility re responsibility re- re for Cor its delivery from that point on lies entirely with the Army Arm Armand and Navy Likewise the Ar Ar- Army Army Army my and Navy handle mail from fron members of the armed forces until it Is delivered to civilian post offices offices of of- In this country and the Postal Service has no jurisdiction over the mail until so rece received ed Delays In the mail to the armed forces ma may be caused by various factors Transportation of the mail man sometimes must be he postponed so sc that more urgent needs for arms food or more military and naval 1 r personnel may be filled first Al Ai Although Although Al- Al though mails are dispatched at ever every opportunity at nt times the overburdened facilities cannot accommodate accommodate accommodate ac ac- ac- ac all the mail and it must be held until shipping space is available Ships must travel In convoys convoys convoys con con- voys In the interest of oC safety and anda a convoy can start only when thelast the thelast last ship is loaded and can travel only as fast the slowest ship in the group group all an of which consumes much time Transfers of personnel from rom one point to another also add to the time required for Cor mall to catch catchup up with the men shifted Censorship Censorship Censorship Censor Censor- ship which is done by the Office of Censorship or military authorities authorities authorities ties may also cause some delay although this is held to a n minimum The Post Of Office ice Department does not have jurisdiction over the censorship censorship censorship cen cen- of mail Ship by the enemy account account account ac ac- count for much of the lost mail malJ Many thousands of letters and packages have been on ships lost by enemy action Many postal patrons have wondered wondered wondered won- won dered why there is more rapid and regular mail service from the armed armed armed arm arm- ed forces overseas than to them This is because less mail comes from overseas than goes to our armed overseas ships and planes on return trips have more space available and the location of addressees in this country is ismore ismore ismore more stable than that of overseas personnel V-mail V letters are given priority in transportation by the Army and Navy over ordinary mail and when J possible are sent by plane I Some of the public are under the misapprehension that the Post Office Office Office Of Of- r fice Department can provide the addresses and locations of soldiers sailors and marines abroad The Postal Service has no such records When It is necessary to obtain such addresses of soldiers they may be had from the Office of The Adjutant Adjutant Adjutant tant General War Var Department Washington D. D C. C of sailors from the Bureau of Naval Personnel Navy Navy Navy Na Na- vy Department Washington and of marines from the Marine Corps Headquarters N Navy a v y Department Building Washington |