The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-21
BY James L. Fieser,

Director, Bureau Civilian Relief, Lake
Division, American Red Cross.
Mrs. Brown is in pressing need Of
funds to meet her grocery bill and the
goRernment check for her separation
allowance is slow to arrive.
Or there may be sickness, followed
by death and funeral expenses, in the
Charnoski family circle, for which the
government allowance, made because
of Private Charnoski's enlistment, 10
insufficient.
Or aged Mr.. O'Reilly, overcome by
rheumatism, can no longer support
himself and Mrs. O'Reilly. Their only
son, Barney, is gunner's mate on a
man o war. Yet there is no govern
ment allowance check for the O'Reil-
lys because Barney, for a year or
more previous to his enlistment in the
navy, did not have to help the folks"
because Father OReilly then was
able to boss his gang Of street mend
ers and keep up the little home on a
side street.
1t is for the Browns and CharnoskiS
and O'Reillys that the American Red
Cross, through its chapter Home Serv-
ice Sections, provides monetary re-
Lief in the form Of loans without in
terest), grants and allowances.
And practically every chapter in
Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky is prepar-
ing to assist, or has prepared and is
assisting the Browns, the Charnoslis
and the O'Reillys. They are also pre-
pairing to assist relatives of men serv-
ing in the armies and navies of our
allies.
Fully Explains Loans.
When it becomes necessary for a
Red Cross chapter to loan money to
an enlisted mans family, the condi-
tions of repayment are thoroughly ex-
planned, the obligations put in writ
ing and signed and the collection of
the loan carefully followed up when
1t becomes due. AS has already been
stated, the Red Cross does not charge
interest for loan.
Grants may be made necessary by
demands which the family income and
government allowance cannot be ex-
pected to provide for, such as sick
ness, funerals and need of special
training to create or increase earning
power. Grants in small amounts may
be required to tide over period of
acute distress until proper inquiry
can be made and plan of service de-
cided upon.
Allowances are payments at regu-
lar intervals of a stated sum by the
Red Cross Home Service Sections to
the relatives OF soldier or sailor.
They are usually limited, though not
always, to those not entitled to gov
ernment allowance, such as, for ex-
ample, the families of men serving for
one of our allies.
One may wonder how a Red Cross
chapter, buying several thousand dol
lars worth of supplies monthly to be
made into surgical dressings, wooden
socks and Convalescent gowns, can
spend money for civilian relief work.
Have Civilian Relief Funds.
Last summer American Red Cross
chapters raised more than a million
dollars for the Red Cross War Fund.
Each chapter was permitted to claim
a refund Of up to 25 per cent Of the
amount collected for the expenses of
the campaign, for the purchase of raw
supplies and for it's civilian relief
work. In making claim for refunds,
each chapter was required to state
how much of the refund was to be ex-
pended for civilian relief And now
the chapters are obligated to keep the
civilian relief portion for civilian re-
lief work. To date 1t has not been
necessary to draw heavily from this
reserve
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE DIFFER
ENCE IN STANDARDS AND COSTS
OF LIVING IN THE MANY COM
MUNITIES LOOKED AFTER BY
RED CROSS CHAPTERS, THE
AMERICAN RED CROSS WILL NOT
BE SATISFIED WITH CIVILIAN RE-
LIEF WORK THAT WILL PERMIT
THE LOWERING OF THE STAND
ARDS OF LIVING OF THE RELA-
TTvES OF AN ENLISTED MAN.
RATHER, ITS AIMS TEND TOWARD
A BBTTERMHNT OF THESE
STANDARDS.