Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-28
RELIEF OF SOLDIERS FAMILIES

INN another page of the Telegraph
~ to-day Mrs. Ryder, of the Wo-
mems Division for National Pre-
paredness of the Red Cross, makes a
plea for funds for the relief of the
! families of soldiers now serving in
Mexico.
Mrs. Ryder says that she has met
with rebuffs in her solicitation for aid
due to the belief of many persons that
married men can be released from
military service if they so desire and
return at once to the support of their
families. This misunderstanding is
no doubt due to a lax Interpretation
Of the order of the Secretary of War
in this matter. 1t is anything but easy
for any soldier to get his discharge at
this time. The order of the Secretary
of War is as follows, and a careful
reading of it will show the red tape
that is necessary to procure a release:
Secretary of War directs observ-
| ance following rules in case of en-
listed men of National Guard or or
of United States who have depen-
dent relatives: First, Department
Commanders may issue discharges
tional Guard or organized militia
called into service of United States
who are serving within their re-
plications for discharge are made in
due form through military channels
to Department Commanders set
ting forth that the applicant has
one or more relatives who are de-
pendent upon him for support, the
application to be accompanied by
dependency Second, when it comes
to the knowledge of a commanding
officer through authentic sources
that a soldier of his command has
one or more dependent relatives the
soldier concerned will be informed
of his right to make application
discharge will be issued upon ap-
plication, if warranted by the cir
cumstances. Should the soldier ex-
press desire to remain in the SER
vice and at the same time decline to
allot any portion of his pay to fam
lily or dependents, the case will be
plication for discharge has been
finally approved the proper recruit
ing agencies will be at once in
formed so that vacancy caused may
be filled promptly as possible. Re-
cruiting and mastering officers will
be enjoined to avoid acceptance of
recruits having relatives dependent
upon them for support.
1t is natural for the soldier to
hesitate to make his own application
and scores of wives and mothers who
have more need for their husbands
and sons at home than the nation
now has for them at the border are
not sufficiently versed in formal pro-
cedure to take the necessarily rather
involved steps to procure the return
of their bread-winners.
Not so long ago Harrisburg very
properly contributed thousands of dol
lars for the relief of the hungry
children of Belgium. A little later
hundreds of dollars more were raised
to relieve food shortage in Belgium
But Harrisburg children may go
hungry and few raise a finger or
contribute a cent. Charity begins at
home and it is mighty poor city that
will parade it's virtues abroad and
that will so into a fit of hysteria over
the hungry women and children of a
far off country while it permits Its own
people to suffer while their support
ers are in Texas standing between the
United States and the bloodthirsty
hordes of Mexico.
Is that the kind of label Harrisburg
wants to wear?
We hope not.