Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-12
HOME SERVICE
OF RED CROSS IS
NOW IN LONDON
Relatives of Wounded Sammies
Furnished Accurate Intor-
nation by American
Organization.
Correspondence of Associated Press.

Correspondence of Associated Press.
London, July l5.-The Home
Communication Service" branch of
the American Red Cross work, which
has already become we'll known in the
United States, now has its own de-
partment at the American Red Cross
headquarters in London, occupying
an entire floor at 40 Grosvenor Car
dens, under Captain Herbert Eden
borough. He commands a large staff
of workers and "searchers," who are
stationed at various points through
out Great Britain where they are in
constant touch with camps and hospi-
tails where American soldiers are to
be found.
Relatives at home of American
soldiers in Europe desire information
of many kinds about the men. The
aim of the Red Cross Home Com
munication Service is to see that all
these inquiries are promptly and ade-
quately answered. This work has
many phases. but the 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 anxious
relatives in America. The soldier in
hospital is followed carefully through
out his stay there and throughout his
convalescence, and everything pos
sible is done to see that he is kept.
in touch with home.
Information Correct.
Emphasis is placed particularly on
one point-that information gathered
by the Home Communication Service
shall be absolutely correct and clear.
and shall be transmitted with the
greatest possible promptitude. 1t
must be borne in mind, of course,
that all lines of communication be-
tween Europe and America are at
present overburdened. 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.
The work of the Home Communi-
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 in England. In all the camps
the soldiers are informed that this
free Home Communication Service
is available. They are told where
they can find the special representa-
tive charged with the work in their
district, and are encouraged to make
the fullest use of his services. In
the hospitals, the representatives of
the department are in daily touch with
every American patient sick or
wounded, and frequent reports on his
progress are made to headquarters.
Records of All Wounded.
Captain Edenborough came to the
Red Cross from a great business
house in New York, where he was
recognized expert on fling systems
and business methods. For the sta
tistical branch of his London office
he has developed comprehensive
system will be expanded indefinitely
which will enable instant reference
to the hospital history of any one of
thousands of American soldiers. The
system will be expanded indie 'nitely
as need arises, and inquiries from
relatives or official departments re-
garding soldiers in this country can
often be answered from these records
within a few minutes of receipt. If
necessary this first report can be
supplemented by the departments
searchers" and If possible by an in
tcrview with the man himself
The work in the hospitals in Great
Britain is complicated by the fact
that large proportion of the Ameri-
can hospital cases must necessarily
go to British hospitals, scattered all
over the British Isles. For instance,
American troops are taken i'll in
transit or at points Whefe they are
brigaded in small bodies with Brit
ish troops, as in the case Of numerous
aviation units. These men are taken
to the nearest available military hos
pital, whether it is British or Ameri-
can. But even if they are in a Brit
ish hospital, Captain Edenborough's
representative is at hand, and follows
their case just as carefully and COM
prehensively as if 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 hospital in Great Britain, a large
number of whom were in British hos
pitals. In each of the cases the de-
partment has a complete record, with
a description of the patients illness
or wounds, and the address of his
nearest relative in the States.