The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-02
Red Cross Council To Make
Reports to Nation.
How First $1OO,OOO,OOOs Was
Expended To Be Shown.
HOME SERVICE SECTION WORK
1t Is Link That Keeps Home
and Front Line Close.
Department Has Aided 1,00O,-
600 Persons Since April 6, 1917.

Washington, Sept. 1.-THE war
council of the American Red Cross
has planned to issue a series of re-
ports to the American people concern
ing the use of the first Red Cross war
fund of s100,00O,eOe and the plans so
far perfected for future work
The first section of these reports is
sued today covers the work of the
Red Cross in caring for the families
at home of Americas men in militant
service. The report on this subject is
as follows:
Aid to Families.
More than 100000 families of
American men in service have been
relieved of money troubles, legal diff
culties, family worries or of depressing
loneliness by the home service of the
Red Cross. This branch of Red Cross
activity has $4,000 men and women
serving on it's 10000 home service
committees. 1t has reached into re-
mote communities where there had
never been organized social effort be-
fore. 1t has established the closest CO.
operation in the larger centers of
of public welfare. 1t is spreading
doctrine of Intelligent substantial
neighborliness on behalf of the fight
erS' families and backing it with an eX-
penditure of over 100000 month.
These expenditures have been made
out OF money RAISED IN Inc COIIliu uHl-
ties themselves and reserved from the
amount contributed to the national
Red Cross war fund. The direction OF
each town and county's home service
work is left to local committees Ma
tional headquarters is seeking only to
guide and aid in organizing the neigh
borlineEs of each town for it's own
men in khaki.
More than 100000 people have
been helped by these local committees
since the war began. Money has been,
certainly, the least valuable contribu-
ton of home service to the welfare
of communities since men began to go
into training camps, but it amounted
to $1,50o,000 for the first six months
of the present year and will probably
exceed 100000 fpr the second hair
of the year. By January 1, 1919, Red
Cross will have spent in home service
work a total of 100000 and will
then he carrying a burden, probably,
of nearly S1,00O,000 a month";
More important than money are the
other kinds of help that are being
freely given. Problems in soldiers
and sailors families have arisen from
sickness, worry, backward or unruly
children, perplexities in household
management, business and legal tan
giles mental depression and sometimes
mere longing for the man gone away.
These things keep soldiers families
fl ON happiness sometimes when there
is no actual pressing need for funds
and home service committees, by en-
listing the aid of physicians, lawyers,
business men, successful housekeepers
and teachers, have successfully aided
/ sands of families to overcome
such troubles.
Allowance Difficulties.
Difficulties arise out of the failure
of ~~~~e dependents to receive their
/ I,a
war risk insurance law. At least co.
600 inquiries concerning such pay
ments we're received by the Red Cross
tnru home service committees during
the n onth of July and more than a
third of those were taken clear thru
| to headquarters by the information
service in the effort to get matters
Strengthened out
Men in camps in this country or on
| the firing line in Europe are in touch
| practically all the time with Red
! Cross field workers who can, in re-
| Spouse to an appeal, get word to the
home service committee in the fight
er's home town. The Importance of
this in keeping up the morale of men
abroad has been spoken of again and
again by officers in France. A wor-
| ried soldier is not a good soldier and
the Red Cross is saving soldiers from
| unhappiness by taking care of their
families and then seeing to it that the
| soldiers are informed that things are
right.
The Mail Link
Twenty or more inquiries after the
welfare of soldiers families are sent
| over from the army in France every
| day by cable and 100 more come in
| the daily mail to national headquar-
| ters- If conditions are such that a
satisfactory answer cannot be sent,
the Red Cross home service commit