Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-05
KEEPING POSTED ''][E|D
IS JOB FOR one
RED CROSS UNIT
This Section is Maintained.
as an Information Blu
reau for Americans.

American Red Cross work, which mas
already become we'll known in the
United States, now has its own de-
p.artment at the American Red Cross
Headquarters in London, occup",ng an
entire floor at 40 Grosvenor Gardens,
undc: Captain Herbert Ede~nhorough.
fte commands a large staff Of work
ers and "searchers," who are stationed
at various points throughout Great
Britain where they are in constant
touch with amp and hospitals
where American soldiers are toy be
found. rs
Relatives at home Of American.
soldiers in Europe desire information
of many kinds about the men. The
aim of the Red Cross home commune
cation service is to see that all these
inquiries are promptly and adequately
answered. This work has many
phases, but the most important is
that which deals with inquiries about
men who have been wounded or taken
sick. The Red Cross aims to keep
In constant touch with every Ameri
Gan hospital ase and to see that the
fullest reports on each case go for
war; promptly to the anxious relatives
in America. The soldier in hospital
is followed carefully throughout his
stay there and throughout his con-
valescence. and everything possible is
done to see That he is kept in touch
with home.
Emphasis is placed particularly on
one point-that information gathered
by the home communication service
shall be absolutely correct and clear,
and shall be transmitted with the
greatest promptitude. 1t must be
/. borne in mind, Of course, that all lines
Of communication between Europe
and America are at present over
burdened, and military use of those
lines OF communication must not be
interfered with; but, aside from this
consideration, the home communica-
ton work Of the Red Cross takes
precedence yer everything else, and
no unnecessary delays are permitted.
The work of the home communica-
ton service in England is just start
ing but already nearly 200 reports
weekly are being made to Washing
ton, and, through Washington, to the
families in America Of men in Eng
land. In all the camps the soldiers
are informed that this free home
communication service is available.
They are told where they can find the
special representative charged with
the work in their district, and are
encouraged to make the fullest use
OF his services. In the hospitals, the
representatives Of the department are
J in daily touch with every American
patient sick or wounded, n frequent
reports on his progress are made to
headquarters.
Captain Peterborough came to the
Red Gross from a great business
house in New York, where he raj a
recognized expert on filing systems
and business methods. For the stats
teal branch Of his London ONCE he
has developed a comprehensive sys-
H. -l--1-- ~- ~~e-fNi-~
which will enable instant reference to
the hospital history of any one Of
thousands Of American soldiers. The
system will he expanded indefinitely
as need arises, and inquiries can often
be answered from these records
within a few minutes Of receipt. If
necessary this first report an be sup
plemented by the departments
"searchers" and If possible by an in
tervfew with the man himself :
The work in the hospitals in Great
Britain is complicated by the fact that
a large proportion Of the American
hospital cases must necessarily go to
British hospitals, scattered all over
the British Isles. For instance,
American troops are taken i'll in
transit or at points where they are
brigaded in small bodies with British
troops, as in the case Of the numerous
dNAalAOl 0AlAGS. AASoC = SAASA
to the nearest available military hos
pital, whether it is British or Ameri-
AM. But even If they are in a Brit
ish hospital, Captain E~denborough's
representative Is at hand. and follows
their case just as carefully and com
prehensively as IL they were in q
purely American institution.
On a recent day, for example, this
Red Gross. records showed that there
were about LOCO American soldiers
in hospital in Great Britain, a large
number Of whom were in British hos
pitfalls. In each Of these case the
home communication service depart
ment has a complete record with
description Of the patients illness o.
wounds, and the address Of his near
est relative in the states.