Catoctin clarion., 1917-11-15
The Coming Deficit In
Our Family Life
Who Is Going TO Supply 1t?

Who Is Going TO Supply 1t?
Sir Baden-Powell was recently asked
when he thought the war would end. he
answered:
1.-THE war will be decided about 1886. y
And then he went on to explain that
the true victory will lie not so much in
the actually military gains of the next
few months or years on the battefields,
as in the quality of manhood which Will
be left to carry on the country's work
after the war.
Here is far sightedness- truth
The end of-the-war date will be duly
settled. But for every man and woman
at home there is now earnest work to 90
toward the broader, ultimate victory
maintenance of a manhood health,
strength and character. Maintenance is
precisely the word, for million and a
half men cannot be sent out to fight with
out causing serious deficit in the family
life of the nation, which obviously will
affect the young men of 1885.
1t is the safeguarding of the future to
which the Home Service" of the Civill-
ian Relief Department of the American
Red Cross is dedicated. W. Frank Per
sons, Director General of Civilian Re-
lief, has started a vigorous campaign
from the national headquarters in Wash
ington, to awaken the people OF this
country to the Importance of standing be-
hind this particular branch of Red Cross
work
No matter how carefully we have gone
about the recruiting of the million and
half men in our Army and Navy, large
number of families are bound to suffer
economic and social distress. Men old
enough to enlist have in most cases been
contributors to the money income and
domestic life of their households. The
homes out of which they have gone will
be less able to meet the skyrocketlng
cost of living, the substantial change in
conditions of employment and other yicis'
situdes of war times.
But" you protest, mindful of British
and French and Canadian figures, "the
answer to all this is a government allow,
ance to the family"
1t is part answer, small part OF the
answer. The government of course will
provide such help. 1t will keep folks
from starving. But there are things
which the government cannot do-things
vitally necessary to the quality of Amer
ican morale.
Remember that when you take mar
from family you take not merely a
source of income but an administrator,
guide, and companion. You take
from that family not only earning power
but man power, the only thing in the
world which can generate personal SER
vice, sympathy and companionship of its
kind. The deficit is great.
'It's not simply the work l have tc
do, or the entire responsibility of bring
ing up the children" said an English
wife, "it's this makes it so hard-t there s
nobody who comes home at night.
TO the work of helping such families
solve their problems, the American Red
Cross has given the glamorless name OF
"Home Service" 1t is, comparatively,
service of the commonplace; yet it is
absolutely vital. From a wealth OF
"human interest" reports by Red Cross
workers who have volunteered for it, II
is certain that the work is interesting.
Home Service" touches the families
of men in all branches of the service
the regular army as well as the National
Guard and the National Army, sailors,
marines, men of the aviation corps and
engineers. 1t applies to the families of
men and women attached to hospital
units as nurses, doctors, orderlies, and
ambulance drivers. 1t has to do also
with the families of soldiers of any of
the Allied forces living in this country,
and with the families of civilians who
have been killed or wounded as the direct
result of war activities, as, for example,
through the torpedoing of merchant
man by submarine.
This work is being undertaken by the
Red Cross chapters through the Home
Service" sections of their Civilian Relief
Committees. There are concentrated
here all activities that have to do with
families of soldiers and sailors as con-
trasted with military relief; that is other
than the efforts directed by the chapters