By February 25, he’s been tracking the mail. He’s recently gotten his moher’s letter of December 3 and one from Spartanburg dated December 31. “Have nothing from you as yet later than December 29^th,” though he knows of “other officers who have received letters dated as late as Feb.8^th.” So, he has one letter from home that’s about three months old, and he is in a mail drought that’s of about two months duration. Others are getting mail in about two weeks. “Am glad to see that an investigation is now being made in Congress.”

He addresses the weather—“springlike” after having been “pretty snappy the first day or two of the week.”

Had lunch one day last week with some of these Americans…who’ve been living over here a good many years. There were present a Countess, a Duchess, an English Naval commander, a French government official and myself. Quite some company I was with and the conversation was thoroughly interesting, mostly of the war, and with the other two big Allies represented, one got all the angles and points of view. At lunch I was sitting next to the Countess (an American by the way) and was sure keeping an eye out to see the proper manner of procedure with the table utensils.

And in closing: “Have never yet seen the box of pecans with sweater and suppose it has been ‘submarined’ by some mail handler en route.”

Transcribed Letter:

A.P.O. 702 A.E.F.

Feb. 25, 1918

Dear Mother: –

During the last week your letter mailed Dec. 3^rd finally came straying in and also one from Spartanburg of Dec. 31^st. Have nothing as yet from you later than Dec. 29^th but suppose I’ll be getting another bunch of letters soon, probably covering the whole month of January. There seems to be no “rhyme nor reason” to the way one’s mail comes. As compared with my case, I know of other officers who have received letters dated as late as Feb. 8^th. I am glad to see that an investigation is now being made in Congress.

Nothing much to say about the past week. As for weather, after being pretty snappy again the first day or two of the week, the rest of it was fine and Saturday the air was really springlike? Today we are having a regular spring rain but there has been comparatively little rain since Xmas as compared with the fall.

Had lunch one day last week with some of these Americans I’ve before mentioned as knowing who’ve been living over here a good many years. There were present a Countess, a Duchess, an English Naval Commander, a French government official and myself. Quite some company I was with and the conversation was thoroughly interesting, mostly of the war and naturally, with the other two big allies represented, one got all the angles and points of view. At lunch I was sitting next the countess (an American by the way) and was sure keeping an eye out to see the proper manner of procedure with the table implements.

Hope you all continue well at home and that John has been called into service by this time as suppose he got pretty restless during a long wait for his call.

Have never yet seen the box of pecans with sweater and suppose it has probably been “submarined” and buy some mail handler en route.

Regards to all the family, not forgetting Annie Covington

With love, Carl

O.K.

Thomas C. Montgomery

2^nd Lt. Inf. U.S.R.