Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-13
FRIEND OF THE SOLDIERS
What the Home Communication Ser
vice is Doing.

What the Home Communication Ser
vice is Doing.
Correspondence OF Associated Press.
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 at the American
Red Cross headquarters at London,
occupying an entire floor at 40 Gros-
venor Gardens. under Captain Herbert
Edenborough. He commands L large
staff oi workers and "scarchcrs'' who
are stationed II many places through
out Great Britain where they are In
constant touch with camps and hos
pitals where American soldiers are to
be found.
Relatives ut home Of American SOL
diers In Europe desire Information Of
many kinds about the men. The aim OF
the Red Cross Home Communication
service is that all these inquiries are
promptly and adequately answered.
This work has many phases, but tho
most important Is that which deals
with inquiries about men who have been
wounded or taken sick. The Red
Cross aims to keep in constant touch
with every American hospital case and
to see that the fullest reports on each
case go forward promptly to the anx-
ious relatives in America. The soldier
in the hospital Is followed carefully
throughout his stay there and through
out his convalcsccncc and everything
possible Is done to see that he Is kept
in touch with home.
Emphasis Is placed particularly on
one point-that Information gathered
by the home communication scrric"
shall be absolutely correct and clear,
and shall he transmitted with the
greatest possible promptitudc. II
must be born In mind, Of course. that
all lines OF communication between
Europe and America are at present
over-burdened, and military use Of
those lines Of communication must
not he intcrfcrcd with; but, aside from
this consideration, the home commu-
nication. work OF the Red Cross takes
precedence over everything else. and
no unnecessary delays are permitted.
The work Of tho home communica-
ton service in England Is just starting,
but already nearly 200 reports weekly
are being made to Washington, and.
through Washington TO The families IN
America OF the men in England. In
all tho camps the soldiers arc inform
ed that this free home communication
service Is available. They arc told
where they can find tho special repre-
sentative charged with the work In
their district, and are encouraged To
make the fullest use Of his service.
In the hospitals. the representatives, OF
the department are In daily touch with
every American patient sick Or wound
ed, and frequent reports on his pro-
gress are made to headquarters.
Captain marlborough came TO the
Red Cross from great business house
in New York, where he was recog-
nized export in filing systems and
business methods. For the statistical
branch Of his London offico he has de-
livered q comprehensive system Of in
dexinS. and compiling which viii en-
able instant reference to 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 OIL
ficial departments regarding soldiers
in this country can often be answered
from these records within 4 few min
utrs of receipt. II necessary this first
report can be supplemented by the de-
partment's "searchers" and II possi-
bic by. an interview with the man
himself
The work of the hospital In Great
Britain is complicated by the fact that
q large proportion Of the American
hospital cases must necessarily 60 to
British hospitals. scattered oil over the
British Isles For instance. American
troops are taken Ill in transit or at
points where they are brigaded In
small bodies with British troops, as In
the case OF the numerous aviation
units. These men are taken to the
nearest available military hospital,
whether it is British or American
But even II they are In British hos
pital, Captain Edenborough's represen-
tive is at hand and follows their cause
Just as carefully and comprehensively
as II they were in a purely American
institution.
On a recent day, for example. the
Red Cross records showed that there
were about 1000 American soldiers In
hospitals in Great Britain, a large
number OF whom were in British hos
pitfalls. In each Of these cases the
home communication service depart
ment has . complete record Of the pat
tents illness or wounds, and the ad-
dress Of his nearest relative In the
states.