The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-17

there will be home service man, as well as military relief man there--who acts as the friendly counselor between the man in the service and his family. To be
 sure, this Red Cross man in the camp would find himself of litrts use, merly lis- tenlng to distressing stories, were it not that every Red Cross chapter in the United States has already organized, the Birmingham chapter among them, or will organize in the near future, a home ser vice section With trafneu and sympa- thetic workers who, upon request, will go to any soldiers family and render every possible service, be 1t giving in formation about the mans insurance or securing proper medicaf attention for
 members of the family who might be ill A soldier in a military camp hundreds of miles from his home in Birmingham learns through a friend that his family are about to be dispossessed because the wife cannot pay the rent. He appeals to the Red Cross representative. who wires to the home service section here and be-
 fore the day is over reply comes back that his rent has been paid and that
 under all circumstances the Red Cross
 will see to it that his family does not
 suffer. Possibly an minimizing member
 of his family writes complaining let
 ters-letters filled with Encouragement.
 not cheer letters-that undermine man s
 spirit so that he losses interest in the
 big work at hand Again, the home ser-
 vice section is notified, and this time the
 worker firmly but kindly shows the fam
 fly the tremendous injury they are doing
 not only to the man himself but to the
 morale of the whole army. She explains
 to them the importance of keeping the
 man in service contented, and convlnceS
 them that this cannot possibly be done
 without the undivided cooperation of the women at home.
 It is the job of our home service sec ton of the Red Cross to keep the morale of the army at it's present effective state by assuring every man in our lighting forces that his folks at home are not only physically cared for, but are behind him to the limit, whether he be chasing submarines on the high seas or facing a gas attack Somewhere in France. Ev- eryone will agree that the Red Cross has assumed and obviously no chapter would. nor indeed could if they so desired, fail to render this service which has been delegated to them.
 Many chapters are now and nave been for some time helping to maintain what is really our first line of defense, namely, a contented army. Remember that our men are going 5000 miles away to night, where furloughs home will be Impossible,
 and while their allied comrades may go home every few months to see their fam flies and friends, our boys will be heart ened only by the messages rom nome.
 will these be letters of cheer, encourag- Ing the men on every hand, or w1li there be distressing letters of an unhappy ana possibly neglected family? The WorRers of the Red Cross have pledged them- selves that such letters, which in many ways have a more deadly effect than the German bullets, shall not be sent, Tor the Red Cross proposes to see to 1t that inc families of soldiers and sailors are not only contented, but are fired With tha determination to submit 10 every necessary sacrifice and are prepared to accept cheerfully all the discomforts oi war until the fight is won and our poys come home
 1 ARTICLES IN SUFFICIENT QUAN- TITIES.
 | Recent advice cabled from France | to Washington has been rece1ved py l the gulf division American Red Cross l The following articles are on hand I in sufficient numbers to meet all pres l ent needs:
 Hot water bottle covers, table nap l kins, handkerchiefs. ice bag covers comfort pillows, heel rings, operating 1 stockings, knitted wash cloths. I The production of these articles now under way and the quantities in the division and New York warehouses | make it possible for the chapters tc 1 curtail materially or suspend entirely until further notice the production o1
 articles listed above.
 l There had been a general request fer information concerning the quan- l tity of summer hospital garments tha' 1 will be required In order to answer such questions definitely. a cable wa; | sent to France, and we were advised l to make no distinction between sum. mer and winter garments.
 If summer garments donated tol refugees conform in every respect t 1 our standards of pattern and material we will be able to use them.
 SHOPPING PERSONALLY CON- z
 DUCTED.
 The American soldier in France is Ia good fighting man. But when he faces the French shopkeeper-thal I quick tongued, sharp-eyed little wom. an who keeps the till as full as she l can while her husband fights, he is glad to have an American woman be- side him.
 So the Red Cross women at the line l of communication canteens have a new l job. They take the boys out shop l ping.
 There are string of towns along | 7-