MAIL DELAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23719, 27 July 1940, Page 14

MAIL DELAYS

THE SECOND ECHELON MESSAGES TO ENGLAND POST OFFICE STATEMENT Delays in the arrival of mail for members of the second echelon of the Kxpeditionary force in England, which have been the subject of complaint, are referred to in the following letter to the editor of the Hkuai.d from a correspondent : "Mail to and from the boys overseas is a matter of moment to relatives, although all sensible people will concede that the more important things of the war are of first consequence, and all patience should be exercised regarding news of our fighting sons. However, tho long delay is disappointing.

"The family has written many letters, correctly addressed, to our son of tho second echelon in England. _Ki<*lit air mail letters were anions the number. Advantage was also taken of the special cablegram rates, three cablegrams having' been sent- during the last four weeks. To-day a cablegram arrives from the lad stating that lie has had no word from us. There may be good reason for the non-arrival of our ordinary mail, but what has become of the air mail letters, and, as for the cablegrams, are they treated with the same despatch as ordinary cablegrams or aro they in a delayed class? Jf tho latter, one would like to know, in which case tho concession in rates is not the advantage it presupposes. ] do not doubt there is a perfectly good answer." Mail Sent to Egypt It is explained by the deputy-chief postmaster in Auckland, Mr. A. M. Rosie, that after the departure of the second echelon from the Dominion, all correspondence for both echelons of the Expeditionary Force overseas was forwarded to the New Zealand base post office in Egypt. When it became known that the second echelon had been diverted to the United Kingdom and had arrived there, all correspondence, provided it was fully addressed, was despatched to the United Kingdom. This included air mail letters. Any doubtfully addressed letters were forwarded to Egypt. No reason is known why soldiers should not have received their mail. Insufficient Information Mr. Rosie could see 110 reason why the soldier referred to should not have received his cable messages. There is 110 delay at the New Zealand end, he said, but, of course, messages at tho specially reduced rate do not receive the same expeditious despatch as those messages paid for at the ordinary rates. The omission of tho echelon number may cause correspondence to be despatched to the wrong country, involving long delay in delivery. The quoting of the number is particularly necessary on letters for members of divisional units, such as Divisional Signals. Divisional Ammunition Company, and Divisional Petrol Company, because in such instances there is no other indication of the echelon to which the soldier is attached.