Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-22
WILL |MPART NEWS
REGARDING ARMY
War Department Establishes
Bureau for Special Benz
eft of the Public.

In the general interest Of the public
having business with the War De-
partment and its various branches
Adjt Gen. Harris has just created In
his Office at the War Department q
| new division Of general information
for the special purpose Of supplying
all information regarding the person
| mel of the Army that can be impaired
without detriment to the service.
Lieut.. Col Roy A. Hill Of the United
States infantry, detailed to the adju-
tant generals department, has been
placed in charge. He has been pro-
| vided with a corps Of experts and
clerks and with telegraphic and tele-
phonic facilities and other mechanical
equipment for the prompt dispatch OF
business. The main office Is in room
24s on the second floor Of the north
wing Of the building and its telephone
number is Main 2570, branch A.
Will Give Out News Of Casualties.
While general information regard
ing Army personnel will be PROMPTS
| Impaired by the new division Its most
| important function will be to supply
all possible information about casual.
ties in the Army, in the camps an1
environments in this country, as Wen
as those on the battlefields and in the
camps and stations in France and
other European countries.
Under the system recently adopted
by the War Department: 1t IS said'
every casualty, no matter now s sra1i ~ :
parents, relatives and friends OF the
victim are notified.
."The War Department" said
Adjt. Gen. Harris. desires the peo-
pie to know exactly the steps taken
and details concerning casualties in
our forces abroad. No casualties are
held back-all are transmitted and
published as fast as communication
facilities permit. Anxiety caused by
delays and inaccuracies which former
" existed should be disputed by the
present arrangement for the receipt
and publication of casualty lists and
the system Of follow-up letters re-
Gently instituted by direction Of the
chief of staff.
Salient Features Outlined.
'The salient features of the present
arrangement are, first, the receipt by
cable and prompt publication of the
names of the dead and missing; sec
ond, the receipt by courier letter and
prompt publication of all other cas-
ua1ties, including cases of serious
illness and gas casualties.
'The adjutant generals Office now is
able to give the nature and degree of
the wound or injury and other details
not heretofore obtainable. At once,
upon receipt of the information, noti-
f1cations are sent by the adjutant
generals Office, followed by letters
SrSry s,Hf@
hospital records are received. and in
many cases additional letters from
the bureau of communication of the
Red Cross giving the more intimate
details, dictated by the men them
selves or written by the Red Cross
ment. however, assumes in every case
the responsibility for the direct and
immediate notification of relatives.
. Task of Collection Difficult.
1.-THE tremendous size of the Army
abroad, its distance from its base,
the length and complexity of the
lines Of communication, etc, make
the task of collecting and verifying
information ass to casualties one Of
great difficulty and often fnterpose
considerable delay, but those re-
sponsible for the collection of this
information abroad and those re-
realize the Importance Of their task
and of'dong everything that is pos
sible to prevent delay, error or I'M
necessary anxiety or doubt The well
come cooperation of the Red Cross
and the arrangement for more regu-
lar and detailed reports from abroad
make. it is believed, a system of in
formation upon which the people of
the country can rely.
Every possibility Of further i'm
of and every effort made to acquaint
the families in this country as fully
as possible with detailed informa-
ton"