Evening journal., 1919-01-02
By the United Press.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-Parents and
relatives Of American soldiers killed or
wounded in France would have been
doomed TO longer suspense and anxiety
about their boys had not the English
Waacs come TO the rescue and helped
get casualties lists 10 this country, SEN
ator Weeks, Mass, told the Senate to-
day.
Since the Wascs. an organization OF
women. took hold Of the American cas-
ualties lists, the time Of getting the
names to this country has been greatly
expedited, Weeks said, i'm an attack on
the War Departments delay in hand
ling such information. An average OF
twenty-five days was required to get
the report OF an American soldiers
death ready for cabling to this coun-
try, Weeks declared In the case OF
wounded, this time was reduced, he
said. but "the average time required for
transmitting all reports Of casualties
aggregated IS IL days before the names
were cabled TO the United States This
Is practically double the time required
by the British authorities, under their
system, Weeks said.
Weeks charged the War Department
with failing to cooperate with the Red
Cross either here or abroad. Quoting
from testimony of the W. r. Castle. OF
Red Cross, before the Senate Military
Committee, Weeks told how the Red
Gross had data on the casualties which
It was not allowed 10 give relatives until
the War Departments machinery had
completed its tedious processes Of
checking up. Hundreds OF letters writ
ten by wounded boys to their fathers,
mothers and other relatives and en-
trusted to the Red Cross, were held up
by the War Department until an official
report OF the casualties had been made,
Weeks said. Castle finally got the War
Department to allow such letters to be
forwarded 20 relatives as soon as re-
ceived, Weeks said.
The Red Gross, Weeks said, was in
many ways better equipped than the
department for reporting casualties, be-
cause 10 covered thousands OF the
French hospitals 20 which American
soldiers were taken.
As proof Of this Weeks said:
"The fact Is that the War Depart
ment has been frequently wrong and
has caused much suffering. During the
month Of August the Red Gross had
the cases OF over 200 men, who had
been reported by the War Department
as missing I'm action, but who had been
found by the Red Cross in hospitals iD
France. They never have been miss
ing.
Another example Will show how in
accurate the War Department has been.
During the week ending December IA
the Red Cross received an average OF
20 letters a day from parents who had
been advised their sons had been killed
on specific date. In every date written
they had received communications from
their sons subsequent to the date Civ
en- as the time Of their deaths"
II Is too late to remedy the evils
growing out Of the failure OF the cas-
ualty system list to work, Weeks said, |
hut the same mistakes should not be
repeated in any other war.
Cases Of gassing, serious illness, ac-
cident (unless fatal and slightly
wounded not reported to relatives, were
noted.
Failure Of the Adjutant Generals Of
fee 10 answer correspondence concern /
ing wounded soldiers was also touched
upon by Weeks.
"It may be claimed that the real duty
OF the War Department and the army
was 10 win the war; but in addition, II
was the duty Of the department to keep
up the morale not only Of the army but
Of the people at home, especially Of the
families Of those serving on the other
side and TO prevent unnecessary dis
tress and Apprehension" said Weeks.
you cannot read the papers, or the
numerous letters or testimony before
the Senate committee without coming
to the conclusion that there has been
failure by the department to meet this |
requirement.