The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-03-26
TO PUSH BUILDING OF
RED CROSS HOUSES
''"e service Work For Army Campo
stressed In Conference At pivi-
sion Headquarters

'ne work OF the American Red
Nrose In the army camps OF the South.
DIVISION was held in Atlanta a few
,s ago. There were present not
oniy Col. w. l.. Peel, Division Manag.
- y. D. Bidwell, Associate Manager,
nu H. Bennett Phelps, Division Direc-
M VI the Bureau Of Military Relief, to-
1e'ner with number Of the Red Cross
ieiu T directors and Assistant Field
e'torS from the camps, but
o' w. FRANK Persons, Director Gen.
u, n~i OF Civilian Relief; Henry 8.
thompson, National Director of the
bureau OF Camp Service, and Charles
~ fo3' Assistant Director of Camp
"ei'ice IN Charge of construction.
number Of important matters
were discussed, among them being the
personnel in the training Gamma tho
building and manning of the Red Cross
nouses Tor convalescents in the camps.
anu the appointment Of directors for
,nese houses, instructions regarding
hospital information service, and the
rotation or the Home Service depart.
nenl 10 the department of Military
neher and the Importance of Home
service to the men in the tra,nin.
camps and In the trenches, which
latter was taken up with the field di.
rectors by Mr.. Persons.
Inc volume of Home Service work
10 De done necessitates the appoint.
ment or an associate field director in
oharge of home service who will work
with the regular field director in the
camp. There will also be a Home Ser.
wee director on every transport that
carries American troops to France, so
tnat every soldier who leaves family
or business worries behind may have
someone to whom to turn for help and
advice. The problem Of keeping up
the morale OF the army by making
them understand that their families
are well looked after while they are
away as well as that of helping ia
maintain a normal standard of living
In the families where the men are
away belongs to the Home Service OF
Civilian Relief Department.
AT the time OF the Napoleonic
campaigns said Mr.. Persons, It was
estimated that the morale Of the army
was more important than ammunition
In the ratio OF 3 to 1. In the present
war, one OF the greatest English gen
erals has estimated the ratio as 8 ia
1. Home Service is more importan,
to the United States troops than to
those OF England and France, because
the French and English soldiers have
two weeks leave every 90 days, car
return to their homes and look after
their most pressing business affairs
for themselves. But the American
soldier who goes to France will prob
ably stay In France until the end OF
the war, and 1t Is only through the
Home Service Department of the Red
Cross that his mind can be relieved
from all worry concerning affairs a,
home so that his entire attention car
be concentrated on soldering"
Many illustrations OF the value OF
Home Service in the training camps
OF this country were given by the
Field Directors. and the duties Of the
men in charge of this branch of the
work outlined.
Henry 8. Thompson, national direc
tor OF the Bureau Of Camp Service
spoke on the duties Of the military
Held directors in the camps and their
relation to the Home Service Directors
IN the same camps.
The building OF the Red Cross
houses In 40 army camps in this coun
try was then taken up by Charles f.
Fox, assistant director of Camp Ser
vice In charge Of construction, and the
purpose OF these houses was explain
ed to the Field Directors and assist
ants who were present. Quarters and
place Of amusement will be provide
in these houses for convalescent sol
dters who are well enough to leave the
hospitals and yet not we'll enough tc
return to active duty. as well as &C
commodations for the families OF mer
who are i'll enough to make IL neces
sary to send for their relatives. 1t ii
being planned that a large part Of the
furniture for these houses shall be
made by the older boys in the
Junior Red Cross auxiliaries
The construction in the camps
Of the Southern Division will be su
pervised by John r. Dillon of Atlanta
OF the firm Of Morgan & Dillon. archi
tects. who has volunteered his ser
vices to the Southern division for any
sort Of architectural work
Men trained in work similar 70 thai
OF the Home Service department are
wanted at once for work in the camps
and on the transports. All applications
In this division should be made to
Joseph G. Logan, Director OF Civilian
Relief.
Field Directors and Assistant Field
Directors present at the conference
were T. T. Flagler, g. A. Darrach, DR.
Josiah Morse, Lanning Harvey, w. r
Carr, William C. Denny. II. NJ. voor
hees, ]. Loaring Clark, II. A. Field
William s. Moore. j. c. Williams, and