New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-24
PUBLIC EXERCISES
At Tree TONIGHT
Continued From First PaRe).
While shepards Watched Thai

Hark, the Herald Angels sing 49,.
................ MedelnuOhr
1t Came Upon the Midnight Clear
...:....' ... Willis
| o Little Town of Bethlehem .Rodner
Leland Explains Home Service Work.
The Red Cross managers and CAP
ta1ns are hustling today in the final
wind up Of the campaign to go over
the top with $4,000 members. Encour-
aging reports came In to headquarters
over Sunday. but it is going to take
some tall hustling today to do tho
trick. There is one feature of the Red
Cross work. which has not been men
toned before. and which should APP
peal most strongly to any Doubling
Thomases, who are holding back from
giving, the work the support that they
should. This is the Home Service De-
paftment. w. W. Leland Is chairman
OF this important department, and
there Is no more enthusiastic Red
Cross worked than he, spending his
money freely for the cause. He de-
sires the public to know the facts
about tho work Of his department.
In an interview today he said, 1--WE
hear great deal in these days of the
morale of an army, that imponder-
able force which IL such an impor-
tant element, when the supreme test
comes. The spirit Of our troops can
not be what it should, If individual
soldiers are worried about the way
matters may be In their homes Men
may be the best soldiers in the world,
but II things are not we'll with their
families at home, they lose heart and
it has blighting affect not only on
the morale Of this one soldier. but
it may pervade q whole regiment. One
soldier may cheer up 4 whole battal-
ion, or vice versa. Thousands of
Home Service workers in every part
of this country are now in daily con-
tact with the families Of soldiers and
sailors and looking after their wants.
They are encountering many family
situations in which only a friendly and
individualiZed neighborlino0s can take
the place OF the enlisted mans help
and protection during his absence.
The Red Cross has no desire to shirk
and no desire to tntrude. Many FAM
lilies will not need Home Service and
our volunteer workers will 90 to none
without definite instruction.
Mr.. Leland further explained the
nature Of the work more In detail. He
committee explain an interpret what
the government has agreed to do fin
ancially for all families, where hus-
band or son has gone to tho army.
Uncle Sam has been liberal and under
ordinary conditions federal allowances
Will make every family comfortable.
But, how is the soldier to know for
certain that his family is in touch
with the government way of in Wash
lngton? How can he be assured that
his particular little bit Of worry is
being attended to in this mighty en-
terprise.
"If he can know that the same or
ganized help he sees in the hospitals
and ambulance service over there is
being also exerted in his behalf at
home, what a sense of relief It will
bring; If he can feel that q measure
of sympathy he knows awaits him at
the hands of some Red Cross nurse
is also at call for his family he will be
better able to bear his separation and
make a better soldier.
''1t Is the aim of this branch of
the Red Cross work to see that no
family whose bread winners have
gone to fight our battles is allowed to
go down hill because Of the fact.
Home Service Is for home conserva-
tlon and the upholding Of the hands
Of those who are left to keep up the
home to bring up the children and to
meet the trying days that are ahead
of us all. There may be special cases
where the government subsidy and the
share of the soldiers pay Is not enough
to meet the circumstances. In such
cases, the Red Cross, through the
Home Service committee, Is prepared
to help the family meet the emer-
gency. This Is in no sense charity
but Is an attempt to make federal
provision more humane in its rela-
tons to the families of our men at
the front. It is designed to supple
ment and bring the government into
personal, human touch with these.
families. To accomplish this the
Home Service committee will have
visitors enter into friendly and SYM
pathetic relations with these fami-
lies that their condition may be
known to the committee and thus
they may be saved the pain of making
application for any proper assistance
and the misery that might result from
delay.
Red Cross Searchers.
"Once these relations are estab-
lished the way is paved for other
phases of the work of this commit
tee. These phases might be described
as the reverse process. The Red
Cross maintains searchers on all
battlef1elds and the German Red Cross
on their side of the line. In case Of
death or injury the government sends
promptly brief message to the fam
lily. but these Red Cross searchers
gather all details and transmit them
to the family. This is done through
the Home Service department. So
also the Red Cross offers the only
means Of communication with pris-
oners through Switzerland, and it may
be assumed that any prisoners taken