The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-07-21
Members of G.. A. r. Auxil-
iary Societies Will Attend
Encampment Scheduled
for Capital in September.
w. r. C. is STRONG
Organization Spends $4,000
900 for Relief Work
Among Veterans Since Its
Inception After War.

WASHINGTON, July 21.-Women
will take prominent part in the for
ty-ninth annual encampment of the
Grand Army of the Republic, which
will be held in Washington, Septem-
Der 81 to October 2.
Four organizations of women allied
with the Grand Army of the Republic
will participate in the encampment.
These are the Woman's Relief Corps,
the auxiliary to the Sons of Veterans,
the Ladies of the G. A. R. and the
Daughters of Veterans. Many thou
sands of members of the four organi-
cations will be in Washington during
the encampment and the grand re-
view, which is to reproduce, as far as
possible, the review of Union troops
in Washington by President Johnson
and General Grant fifty years ago at
the close Of the Civil war.
OF the organizations of women con-
| nected with the Grand Army the larg-
est and most important is the Won
ans Relief Corps.
Forms important Part.
The Woman's Relief Corps is auxil.
larry to the Grand Army of the Re,
| public, and it's only auxiliary. The
Ladies of the G. A. r. and the Daugh.
tiers of Veterans are Independent bod
les, auxiliary to no organization.
The Woman's Relief Corps is the
largest organization of women in the
| world under one eligibility clause, and
one motto 1t now numbers 10000
| with department organization in Al
states, divided among 2,601 corps. as
local organizations are known. Be-
sides these there are 81 detached
corps, which thrive in ten southern
and two western states, where there
are no department organizations.
The Woman's Relief Corps is the
greatest philanthropic. charitable and
| patriotic organization of women in the
| world.
1t was organized at Denver, Colo
in 1888, in response to the call of the
veterans for the organization of WON
en- that would be auxiliary to them
and which would meet with them at
national encampments, and assist
them in the tremendous work which
was becoming burdensome to the
Grand Army, that of helping to care
for the aged veterans and their de-
pendent widows and children.
Pensions were very small at that
time, and the hardships of war were
beginning to tell on the veterans who
suffered from wounds and other dis
abilities incurred in the service of the
country. At the encampment in Den
yer, the Women's Relief Corps, com
prlsed Of loyal women who never
gave aid or comfort to the enemies of
the Union" was organized and accept.
ed by the Grand Army, which had call
ed it into existence, and gave it the
motto of the veteran body, "Frater-
| nifty. Charity and Loyalty" with the
right to wear a badge with the me-
dalton center of the G. A r. badge.
Since its organizat ton the Women's
Relief Corps has expended in chart
table and relief work for veterans
nearly S4,000,o00. 1t built and equip
ped an army nurses home in Ohio,
where army nurses of the Civil war
could be cared for. 1t has been in
strumental in founding state homes in
all the northern states where veter-
ans and their wives may go together
and spend their declining years In
comfort.