SOLDIERS' MAILS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 6

SOLDIERS' MAILS

j INFORMATION FOR CORRESPON- : DENTS. Many inquiries are being made, and much misconception scorns to exist, regarding the present arrangements for forwarding mails to soldiers. The fol- | lowing is a statement of the position so far as it can be made known publicly:— < .

Letters and packets for the forces on active service in France are forwarded alternately via San Francisco ahd via Vancouver, and parcels and newspapers for the same forces are 1 forwarded by direct eteamers to London.

All classes of mail matter for tho units on service in Egypt are forwarded weekly by tho steamer leaving Wellington for Sydney.

The u«its on service in France and Egypt respectively are known to the post office in Wellington, but this information cannot be made public.

The post office advertises the time For closing the mails it is intended to dispatch via San Francisco and Vancouver, and by direct steamer, but without mentioning the route. There is a difficulty about advertising the dispatch of mails to Egypt because many of the' public are not awaro whether tfioir friends are in France or in Egypt, and while dispatch from Wellington is weekly, the onward dispatch from Australia is fortnightly. It is not always possible to say whether the steamer leaving Wellington will connect with the outgoing steamer from Australia. The practice of sending 011 mails from Wellington weekly ensures their going forward with the least possible delay. The object of the post office in' advertising has been to; givo tho public, without misleading them, reasonable information as to dispatches. The closing of the mails for tho forces in Franco is always notified'well ahead, and mails for the forces in Egypt are dispatched so frequently that there should be no inconvenience.

Tho public arc strongly advised to continue addressing mail matter to tho care of the Genera] Post Office, Wellington. When this is done, it ensures the matter going forward in closed mails addressed to the Officer Commanding tho Expeditionary Forces in France and Egypt respectively. Many persons have taken to leaving "Care G.P.0., Wollington," out of the address, and have substituted England or Franco. When this occurs, the post office has 110 option but to forward the articles in the ordinary mails to the countries to which they are addressed.