The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-12
red GROSS home
SERVICE WORK
VERY IMPORTANT
DIS Much 10 Keep Men In
Army IN Good
Spirits.
IDn[DF THE TH|NGSDONE
dependents Left Behind By
the Soldiers Cared
For.
IDDEDF THE THINGSD0NE

Keep the home fires burning,
nat y the biggest and most important
oclEIoo o. those who remain at home
y our soldiers and sailors at the
lDpnl.S
i vas . high official Of the War
Department who expressed in that
l11hio1 the importance OF the main
I1no1co Of the morale OF the troops
y the field and Of the civil population
= home. 10 zee to It that the soldiers
lamillo8 are contented, free from
want and unnecessary cares and bur.
IonB. and that the man himself
knows that ais well back home" is
already one Of the big jobs confront
uB tie people Of the United States
nd 4 viii be . bigger Job as more
1nl more Of our men go "over there"
TIE Amerisan Red Cross has al.
- begun 70 get this work well in
tU0, and ~ itS importance comes
y Do more generally understood and
Ic1II1od. voluneer capable workers
Ac|D n keeping pece with the need.
~ tar the largest work the Amer
can Red Cross has done and Is do.
( rs = the alienation Of distress q.
nong the civilian population Of
France not merely by gifts and finan-
C'Il ed, but by an intimate contact
with ne soldiers families, which
Strengthens their courage TO hold out
u1lu ne end. II Is this confident
courage that, transmitted from the
|1mI|y 10 the soldier himself, gives
ne French army a degree OF morale
N ulDasBod in the history OF warfare.
md & Il upon the morale of their
'|1ll|1g forces that victory for the Al
|'11 depends Il b the testimony Of all
NO ere familiar with the work of the
Red Cross IN Fiance that 1t has been
ne largest single factor in strength.
II ne French morale. Its work in TIE
I1|Iol States through its Home Ser
nee department, may easily become
n equally vital factor in thestrength.
gins and maintaining the morale Of
6nr lighting forces.
Il b difficult to define conclsely the
Ioncllono and work Of the Red Cross
mime Service. Its scope is as bound.
less e the category Of human needs
md troubles. Broadly. It may be said
II1IIl8 business Is to keep the sol.
1|1l8' families from worrying and so
Keep the soldiers or sailors from worr-
I|1I, but the sources OF worry are so
uu|I|lo1lnous and the means employ
Cd 70 remove them so manifold that
every new case presents a new prob
lem Rules. except the broadcast gen.
IIIIIIIcE, are impossible; wide human
4IunallIy, deep understanding Of
human nature. keen interest in indi.
I'In1l human troubles. and a knowl.
edge % available means of relief are
none 100 extensive an equipment for
ne Homo Service Worker. Thousands
Of men and women possessing these
II1I1cIcIlsticB are in the service. and
thousands more are undergoing spec
|0| training Cor the work in the Home
Service Institutes and classes estab.
'|.11d N connection with every Red
Cross chapter.
one q the important phases Of
Home Service work is the establish.
M. % Tie Red Cross o. the connec-
ting link between the soldier overseas
or IN camp and his family. The soldier
fail. b hear from his family; natura-
'|I. be NoFrIes-hls efficiency rs Q SOL
der i. d6lnitely impaired. Or he may
receive letters that worry him-details
81 homo troubles, sometimes serious,
sometimes trivial, but still sufficient
% distract his attention from the
main business Of being an efficient
More lhAn % per cent Of army des.
.|||111 n tie experience Of the Al
||.. have been due to unhappy letters
from homo. The home tie Is stronger
thar ne can Of duty. Accessible TO
I|||I soldier . . Req Cross repre-
..1|1I|lo who, through the Red Cross
can commuicats directly. through
me Home Service section Of the local
chapter n the Gcldiers home town.
with ne lamlly. and get some cheer
An. word back - the man In Khaki.
n my Be that the letters cent have
been m|1dlrected or lost IN the mails.
II. Home Service worker may find
yong vile q The spoiled. petted kind
.1 common n America, who has been
I.II % unloading . budget Of house
hold worries upon her husband every
.I.0|1f and who does not realize that
part oI her duty b 70 keep him cheer.
|.| Or there may be real trouble that
can - 1lIaIghtoned out with the kind
~ Intelligent, organized aid Of the Red
||1.I. . he definite improvement Of
me morale both Of the particular sol.
der Involved and Of his family. Per-
|.1. & b the family ct home that
..|.I||Ifoa the first contact with
~. Io1 Cross. The man at the front
ma not been heard from OF his name
|.1 |nnoarod n the casualty lists or
.1n1 ne missing. The Red Cross
... ana does ascertain the facts about
Nj. condition, o. II he Il a prisoner in
Germany GETS into communication
''| I|U II = the only means Of COM
indication between American prison
~ d U1Imany and our own Govern
I||1n tho expected money. allotted
|... Ne. soldiers pay. has not been
||||ro1 nom the Government Tho
..| Cross acts as an intermediary BE-
TWEEN ~ fnmil::- and tho government.
~. = r.nnonk 49, - NJ War N,