SOLDIERS’ MAIL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 7, 4 October 1943, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ MAIL

Anxiety Of Relatives

SERVICE FROM EGYPT

Dominion Special Service. I AUCKLAND, October 3.

The irregularity of mail, deliveries to Ncav Zealand from the Middle East is causing increasing woi-rv and concern-to relatives of the men of the Second N.Z.E.F. It is generally felt that greater attention could profitably be given by the. Government to the wisdom of ensuring that a more frequent and regular service is inaugurated, and that it-could Avith benefit adopt the American method Ayhich gives a very high and constant priority to troop mails." Relatives of men in the Middle Last have had an unenviable experience almost from the time when the final, battle for Egypt began in the middle of last year. For tlie next 10 or 11 months,'when inc division was almost constantly lighting or waiting to fight, mails were necessarily erratic aud letters were often short. However, those at home realized the exigencies of the campaign. Since then, conditions in the Middle East have changed, and relatives find it hard to believe that there should now oe any insuperable difficulty in the Avay ot providing a fast and regular.service. They argue that their morale, like the soldiers . is sufficiently important to the country to be sustained. , It is recognized that the airgraph, service Avas adopted for the purpose of improving communication betAveen men and their relatives. HoAvever, Avhat a soldier can say in an airgraph letter is decidedly limited, and, in addition, it has an impersonal character absent from the ordinary letter. Welcome though it is, it cannot be a complete substitute for the other form, and relatives feel that the airgraph service should not be improved at the expense of the surface mails.