The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1918-03-06

rEDITOR'S NOTE:-This is the seconci
of a series of five articles prepaid ~
Mr.. Fieser on the subject os Red Cross
Home Service The three rernaininz, art-~
tcles are: Financial Aid IN Home SerV--
ice," What Has Been Taught, h~rns-
Service Workers and "Oryanizinc and
Training 10000 Home SerTtce CC-amit---
teemen."1
BY JAMES L. FIESER-
Director, Civilian Relief, Lake CiV1--
sion, American Red Cross
Five million American women today
are engaged in production Ct Redi
Cross hospital supplies, knitted articles
and surgical dressings. And These
women toll without slightest mixing
of the identities of the men who Will
be comforted by their patriotic en-
deavors.
So it remains for the army of $4,000
Red Cross civilian relief, or Home.
Service, workers to bring the per on
al contact into the Red Cross work by.
holding out, in a quiet and unpayToES-
izing manner, helping hand 70 ely,
ttves of men in the service and. idtsk,
to the men themselves on their 70.
turn from the battlefronts-
1t remains for this AMY Of 10000
(Which is backed / 3 re than 3,00c'
chapters with a member hip above 2l;~.
000, 000) to marshal a &c erve Of medi-
cal, legal, educational, 5ocial and -
nencial forces to assist in this help
ing hand business" in a manner hon
orable to the American Red Cross
and worthy of those helped
First of all, Red Cross Home Serv-
ice centers about home solidarity
getting lonely women back to live
with their own people, watching over
the interests Of an expectant mother
reuniting scattered families and writ
ing to men in the service about the
situation in their homes.
Recently a young Italian in one OF
the cdntonments within the Lake d.
vision was worried to a point where
he was of little use to his government
because he got no letters from hin
wiz. He appealed to the Red Cross
A Home Service committee member
Investigated (they never embarrass-
the family by sending the whole COM
mittee) and found that he got no let
tiers because his wife could not write
Arrangements were made for a letter
to be written for the wife once q
week Simple service, but with WON
derful results upon the soldiers state,
of mind. And, perhaps best of all, the
young wife now is learning to read
and write
The ciiId Angle.
Then there is the children's side OF
it-there are men in the service who
are fathers despite the fact that tbs
public generally does not think that
there are many fathers IN the ranks.
Home Service workers are explain
ing lessons to children who fall behind
in their classes. They see that chill
dren in need of medical care get that
| care. They are seeking to give kindly
advice to the child Just beginning to
be wayward or disObedient
Coming to the economic side OF the'
| service, Red Cross service workers
are:
Fitting people to the right job ana
| helping them stay fitted by trying to-
| find OFT where the job pinches; seem z
that insurance policies do not lapse;
encouraging people, who have more
| ready money than usual (sOme do
! have), to spend il with good sense;
protecting the recipient Of pay allow
oh IF
scrupulous installment men and sales
agents; getting the best legal and
business advice in the perplexing prob
lens sure to rise in war times. <
And finally helping the crippled SOL
der or sailor. This work Is still in
the future, and, while not the rnost
pleasant thing in the world to antict-
pate, provisions for it must be and Is
being made. This the Red Cross Home
Service workers are planning to de-
by:
Encouraging employers to give suit
able work to cripples that they may
find permanent opportunity for entirte
/ or partial self support and chance for
/ advancement; maintaining an informa-
ton service regarding opportunities
for such employment, or working with
state and municipal employment In
struments provided for this purposes
giving personal attention to the
troubles and hopes Of those who 6es
not find satisfactory work a. to-
others whose courage must not be al
| lowed to fail; securing vocational
training for those untitled for the kind
of work there is available; creating g.
| public opinion which will encourage
self support from all crippled soldiers
and sailors to the degree that IL iss
possible for them to work.
All this is, in brief, American Red
Cross Home Service as it now operates
and Is planned. The program has been