Evening star., 1918-07-14


OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
which has tried the sympathies of
tho workers. and unnerved them far
more than . gruehng day at their
DESKS alone.
-.
Women whose husbands have
Deserted them and who have found
out in some way that they have en-
listed, write in for their allowances
and allotments. Providing the hus-
band can be located the case may
develop into merely a routine task
But more than likely the husband has
enlisted under an assumed name. and
no clue can be found by which the
true wife and deserting husband can
be linked together.
The bureau. however. undauuted,
attempts to locate the man. and in
some cases details have been dug up
and the proper connections made.
Other cases Offering difficulties are
those of the men with difficult speit
foreign names. A wife or mother
may communicate with the bureau
and sign q long name,, thu duplicate
of which ia. not to be found in the
files.
Long and continued search some
times reveals the fact that the man
in question Ia really in the service,
but that his application was sent in
with his name phnnetically spelled, or
otherwise simplffied by the person
who. may have. aided him in filing It
out
Isnorancs OF the law In another
source Of trouble for those who
handle the allowance and allotment
cases. Letters many pagea long some
times come fin. and several cAu.ful
readings fail to disclose the real
object for the Communication, or the
wording may be so misleading that It
h almost impossible to determine lust
what information is sought.
Yet mo- sfDne il left unturned to dir
out the true status of every cass
whfsfh may call for an allowance
granted by the government. Behind
every letter ta1eze, may lurk the specter
Of poverty with the bureau acting
as the SOLE goabetwean. Mothers, too
proud 10 seemingly beg Uncle Sam
for money. may yet be in dire need
of the allowance he will willingly
grant Through this bureau. Wives
with children demanding the necezsi-
ties Of a healthful childhood may face
the humiliation OF charity but for the
mediattons' Of the bureau.
The story which has had wide cirx
culation regarding the telegram re-
ceived by the bureau which stated:
Child born named Elizabeth; wants
allowance" is merely one Of the many
farfnrQ rhaa ring the rxxl1i oh
demand. constant revision Of the
files. Deaths and births must be re-
ported promptly and the record cards
corrected accordingly. Desertions,
separations, remarriages, adoptions.
disappearances and numerous other
complications arise constantly which
demand a continual watch over the
nles in order that neither the depend-
ents nor Uncle Sam may be unfairly
treated.
So enormous is the volume of work
connected with this phase of the
duties Of the Bureau of War Risk In-
surance that every available modern
office appliance has had to be called
into service to eliminate as TAR al
possible unnecessary routine work.
Checks are being sent out at the
rate OF more than 100000 month,
and that these may all be in the mail
on schedule time-the first Of the
mouth--they are made out far in add
vance. sometimes as many as $1,000
being filed away ready to be mailed
on their proper dates.
Only when some change in the
records. such as the death OF some
dependent or the death or birth OF .
child, Hecessitafes a variation In the
amount Of the allowances 10 1t necss-
checks out OF the fiies and chGngs