South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-12
REPORT ON CASES
OF yANK WOUNDED
London Red Cross Department
Replies to Inquiries
From Relatives.

LONDON. Aug. 12.-The Home
communication service branch OF
the American Red Cross work. which
has already become well known in
the United States. now has its own
department al the American Red
Cross headquarters in LONDON. oc-
cupying an entire moor AT 40 eros
venor Gardens. under Capt Herbert
Eden borough. He commands a large
staff OF workers and "searchers.
who are stationed at various points
throughout Great Britain where they
are in constant touch with camps
and hospitals where American sol
diers are 70 be founG
Relatives AZ home OF American
soldiers in Europe desire informa-
ton Of many kinds about their men.
The aim Of the Red Cross home
communication service is 10 see that
all these inquiries are promptly and
adequately answered. This work has
many phases. but the most import
ant is that which deals with Inquiries
or taken sick The Red Cross aims
20 keep i'm constant touch with every
American hospital case and TO see
that the fullest reports on such cases
go forward promptly to the anxious
relatives in America The soldier in
hospital is followed carefully
throughout his stay there and
throughout his convalescence, and
everything possible is done TO see
that he is kept iH touch with home
Emphasis is placed particularly on
one point-that information gather
ed by the home communication serv-
ice shall be absolutely correct and
clear. and shall be transmitted with
the greatest possible promptitude. IT
must be borne in mind. Of course.
that an lines Of communication be
tween Europe and America are at
present over burdened, and military
use Of those lines OF communication
must not be interfered with; but.
aside from this consideration. the
home communication work OF the
Red Cross takes precedence over
everything else. and no unnecessary
delays are permitted.
Work Just Starting.
The work OF the home communt-
cation service in England is just
starting. but already nearly 200 re-
ports weekly are being made TO
Washington. and. through Washing
ton. to the families in America Of
men i'm England In all the camps
the soldiers are informed that this
free home communication service is
availa BILE They are told where they
can ind the special representative
charged with the work in their dis
trict and are encouraged 20 make
the fullest use Of his services. In the
hospitals. the representative OF the
department are in daily touch With
every American patient, sick or
wounded. and frequent reports on
his progress are made 20 headquar-
tiers.
capt. Edenborough came 10 the
Red Cross from a great business
house iu New York. where he was q
recognized expert on filing systems
and business methods. For the sta
tistical branch of his London Office
he has developed comprehensive
system Of indexing and compiling
which will enable instant reference .
10 the hospital history Of any one Of
thousands Of American soldiers. The
system will be expanded indefinitely
as need arises and inquiries from
relatives or official departments re-
garding soldiers in this country can
often he answered from these rec
ords within a few minutes of re
ceipt If necessary this first report
can be supplemented by the depart
ments "searchers, and If possible
by an interview with the man him
self
The work in the hospitals i'm Great
Britain is complicated by the fact
that a large proportion Of the Amer
lean hospital cases must necessarily
go TO British hospitals scattered all
over the British isles. For instance
American troops are taken IN i'm
transit or at points where they are
brigaded i'm small bodies with British
troops. as in the case Of the nu-
merous aviation units. These men
are taken to the nearest available .
military hospital. whether =. is /
British or American. But even II
they are I'm a British hospital Capt .
Edenborcugh's representative is Al
hand and follows their case just as
carefully and comprehensively as II .
they we're IN purely American in F.
stitution.
on a recent day FOR example the /.
Red Cross records showed that there +.
were about 1000 American soldiers .
IN hospitals in Great Britain a f.
large mum Der Of whom ere IN Brit .
ish hospitals In each OF these cases .
the home communication service .
department has a complete ~ecord I
with a description OF the patient /
illness or wounds. and the address /
OF mis- nearest relative i'm the states
MEN EARN PhpI0I