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Show MONEY, NOT MERCHANDISE SHOULD BE SENT TO SOLDIERS The original order that the approval ap-proval of a regimental or higher commander was necessary before packages might be sent to members of the expeditionary forces has been modified so officers with the rank of major and higher may approve shipments. ship-ments. The approval of a company commander is not sufficient. The question of the shipment of parcels to France first came to the attention of the War Department when the commanding general of the expeditionary forces cabled that congestion con-gestion of 3uch articles had reached such a point that French railroads were unable to- handle the load, a board appointed by the Secretary of War and the Postmaster General examined ex-amined 5,000 sacks of parcel post mail, and found that the articles being be-ing sent not only, in the main, were absolutely unnecessary, but undesirable. undesir-able. -The investigation showed that the amount of such mail had reached a total of 500,000 pounds a week, and was steadily increasing. Relatives and friends, according to a recent statement by the War Department, De-partment, will find they often can do a greater service to soldiers by sending send-ing them money for the purchase of articles in France than by forwarding forward-ing the articles. Tobacco is now being be-ing supplied as part of the Army rations, ra-tions, and merchandise, of nearly all kinds may now be purchased In France through the huge general store established by the Quartermaster Quartermas-ter Corps at lower prices than charged by retailers here. |