Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-07
tTINCLE SAM, Ray Up"

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~ HunGycds of women all over the
city. the wives Of soldiers and sailors,
have sent this plea to high Heaven
and to Washington in an cndcavor to
get the much-necdcd allotments long
due them.
Thus far their prayers in almost
every case have been unanswered
of the 1881 applicants for allot-
ments made by the home service de-
partmcnt of the Red Cross, 1907 Walnut
street, of which Mrs. Henry c. Boyer IS
in charge, only about twenty have been
received
From the camps come hcartrcndinC
letters of the distress caused the
drafted and enlisted men when they
! learn the straits their wives and chill
drcn are in as a result Of the Govern
ments failure to pay. though the ap-
pllcations for the allotment were made
long ago.
From the women come desperate ap-
pcas made at random to newspaper
draft boards.
From the War Risk Insurance Bureau
come cXcuses-time is needed to get the
machinery of the bureau moving with
well-oiled precision; the soldiers have
made mistakes in filling out their ap-
plications; incorrect addresses have
been given; numerous checks have been
returned because of wrong addresses.
Some of the excuses are justifable, per-
haps. but the fact remains that thou
sands of checks which ought to have
come through by this time have not.
To the families of the men that
charming executive. Mrs. Boyer, and her
corps of patriotic workers. most Of them
volunteers. have been an oasis of COM
fort In a desert of distress and worri-
ment.
Every family which had either been
reported to Mrs. Boyer as needing help.
or has solicited II, has been invest-
gated and relieved. In some cases the
relief has taken the form of financial
aid. in others employment has been OBJ
tanned for members Of working age,
home conditions have been bettered
medical treatment advised when it was
needed anG obtained.
We are trying TO take the place of
good husbands to these women" Mrs.
Boyer explained.
No criticism of Washington, however,
is advanced by the department.
"Of the 1881 applications made" Mrs
Boyer said, about twenty allotments
only have been received thus far. They
are slow in coming. but not slower than
we expected A new situation has been
imposed on the Government and we
realize that it will take weeks to get
things moving smoothly"
Three hundred ana forty-seven new
families cropped up in January alone
to be cared for. A visit to the home
service department shows you about
thirty, or one-third of Mrs. Royer's vol
unteers, working away like beavers at
the office work, About sixty more are
out "in the field" so to speak, working
under trained social workers, invests
eating and relieving sufferers.
The other day an Italian boy who
was sent back from a camp with tuber-
culosis was packed off to a sanatorium,
happy in the prospect OF being cured. A
young mother was taken out Of a mill
and given enough money 10 permit her
to remain at home with her small chill
dren. When her allotment comes she
will pay back. II the Red Cross decides
she can do SO without impoverishing
herself.
Scores Of women appear at the head
quarters daily and they want to know
other things in addition to what has
become of their allotment
"Can you tell me II my husband has
the measles?''
MY brother has been transferred to
New York. May go to see him?"
These are only two of the dozens of
questions the information desk must
answer.
THE foreign women in particular
need attention. Mrs. Boyer said.