The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-10-11

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Ice stations are established In every
district Of the United States, and It
is well prepared to look after the de-
pendents Of army and navy men
wherever they may be found.
The soldier is apt to worry most
over his wife and babies. And this is
NOT to be wondered at, because the
predlcaments they may fall into are.
LEGION. The story which has already
been told illustrates one type OF dan
ger which may lie in wait for the SOL
djer,s wife. The records of the Red
Cross are filed with stories OF services
rendered to the wives and children.
One of the home-service offices re-
ceived from a young corporal letter
which contained these sentences: Il
am so thankful for all you have done.
for me. will never know how to-
thank you. But To-. the help that you
extended to us we Would have been in
q destitute condition"
Lost Their Baggage.
/ The story behind this simple testi-|
monx was ii pathetic one. The hus.|
band had been ordered to washington
from a Western post. On the way ALL
the family baggage had been lost.
They recovered only $25 from the rail-
road company. and when they finally
decided to appeal to the Red Cross the|
lwife was nursing a baby . few days
old. ...... 4. {, ri N.a.4s..
The Red Cross worker found them
living IN very poor little house. The
ioldest child. a boy of nine, was doing|
jail the work for the family. His lit
tile sister. eight years old, had abso-
Ilutely no clothing and was wrapped In |
IA strip of flannel. A caretaker was
secured for the mother. and the boy
was SEPT back to school. Then cloth
iing was secured for the little girl.
when the mother was able to get up
lit appeared that. she had no clothes
(which were really fit to wear. When
THE Red Cross visitor first saw her W
land about the house she was wearin,
one old white woman's shoe and ODt
|man's shoe and had on threadbar
wrapper. A remarkably good OUTFIT
was purchased for ;$25; pair OF
shoes, q coat, skirt.ta hat, two waists
and two corset covers. .-
After the start, things began to be
better. The husband made an allot
ment Of his pay and took out war .
risk insurance. AS soon as the pay.
ments from these sources begin tt
come In the family will no longer be :
i'm need of financial assistance. In the
meantime the Red Cross worker is
keeping in touch with them.
The legal committees Of the home
service have been especially valuable
aids. Not infrequently soldiers rela-
tives are. badly informed on the law
and allow themselves to be duped.
Occasionally they are not aware Sf the
rights which accrue to them when the
man of the family goes into the army.
Every sort of snarl. and tangle arises,
and 1t usually seems as though the
services of 4 lawyer may be too costly.
The legal committees meet this need.
All over the country lawyers have gen.
erously given. their services to this
important work. ~.
!. childrens Welfare First. :.
Nothing is more vital. than the well
fare OF, the children. One Of the home
service directors issued this statement
to the workers Of the district: 1.-THE
home service is especially interested
in children, and we feel that its most
important service is in the, conserva-
ton Of the child and the home for the
future. For this reason we stand ready
to see that any child does not kave to
leave school to go to work because its
father has either volunteered or has
been drafted into the army. We also
stand ready to see that no woman
with small children has to go to work
because her husband or son is serving
the country as a soldier or sailor"
A short time ago it was reported to
the Red Cross home service station in
one of the cities. that little girl Of
fifteen was about to be taken out of
school because her family needed the
money she could earn. Irene's father
was dead. Her oldest brother, Alex,
was contributing $40 week to the
family treasury, but he was saving to
get married, and that was all that he
could spare. The second boy, Joseph,
had enlisted. The oldest girl, Helen.
made $40 week, while Harry, sixteen
years old and just returned from a
runaway jaunt, only earned 81. There
was another little girl, eleven years
old. rho still in school.