The Washington herald., 1918-09-02
HOME WORK OF
RED CROSS IS
WAR BLESSING
Soldiers Families Helped
in Great Variety Of
Troubles:

More than 10000 families Of Amer
lean men in service have been re-
lieved OF money troubles, legal diff
hculties, family worries or Of de-
pressing loneliness by the home serv-
Ice OF the Red Cross. says a report
Issued yesterday by the Red Cross
Council.
This branch OF Red Cross activity
has 5000 men and women SERVING.
on Its 1000 home service connit-
tees. 1t has reached into remote
communities where there had never
been organized social effort before.
II has established the closest coon.
Grafton In the larger centers Of ponu-
iation with the organized agencies
OF public welfare. il IS spreading
doctrine OF intelligent Substantial
neighborliness on behalf OF the feht-
ers' families and backing It with an
expenditure Of over 800. 200 a month,
These expenditures have been made
out OF money raised in the commu-
mites themselves and reserved from
the amount contributed to the ma
tional Red Cross war fund. The d.
rection OF each town and county's
home service work is left to local
is
seeking only to guide and aid In
organizing the neighborIiness OF each
town for its own men in khaki.
Money the Least Item.
More than 1000. 900 people have
been helped by these local COM
mittees since the war began. Money
has been. certainly, the least val
liable contribution OF home SER
vice TO the welfare OF communities
since men began to go into train
ing camps. but IL amounted TO
sl,50O.oOO for the first six months
of the present year and will prob
ably exceed $4,000, 900 for the second
half OF the year. BY January /.
1919. Red Cross will have spent in
home service work a total OF S6,-
O0o.0o and will then be carrying
burden. probably. of nearly
$1,000. 900 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, back
ward or unruly children. perpIexi-
ties in household management.
business and legal tangles, mental
depression and sometimes mere
longing for the man gone away.
These things keep soldiers families
from happiness sometimes when
there is no actual pressing need for
funds and home service committees,
by enlisting the aid OF physicians.
lawyers. business men. successful
housekeepers and teachers. have
successfully aided thousands of
families to overcome such troubles.
Difficulties arise out of the failure
OF some dependents to receive their
allowances or allotments under the
war risk insurance law. At least
1900 inquiries concerning such pay
ments were received by the Red Cross
through home service committees
during the month OF July and more
than a third OF those were taken
clear through to headquarters by the
informa ton 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-
sponse TO an appeal. get word 10 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
worried soldier Is not a good SOL
der. and the Red Cross is saving
soldiers from unhsppiness by taking
care OF their families and then seeing
to It that the soldiers are informed
that things are right,