Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-02-04
RED CROSS
HOME SERVICE
MRS. III. A. GALE APPOINTED THE
CHAIRMAN OF WORK IN THIS
COUNTY
ATTEND TO CIVILIAN RELIEF
Bulletins Tell of the Scope of Work
Bulletins Tell Of the Scope of Work
of the Committee

Some months ago Mrs. H. A. Gale
was appointed chairman in this county
of the department of civilian relief of
the American Red Cross and she has
appointed on this relief committee to
work with her, Mrs. l.. n. Brown, DIR.
e. E. Fry, E. NJ. Flood and Miss Faye
Kent, the latter to act as secretary.
AS the name of the department sug-
gests, the committee will look after
civilian relief work only but of course
will pay especial attention to the
troubles or grievances of all discharged
soldiers and sailors which are brought
to the attention of any member of the
committee.
The local committee for civilian re-
lief is now prepared to carry on its
work as called upon. The following
paragraphs are extracts from bulle-
tins of the department of civilian re-
lief of the American Red Cross which
make plain the intent and scope of
the department:
The obligation of the Red Cross to
families of men in the active military
or naval forces, does not cease upon
honorable discharge from the service
A duty is owed these men and their
families during the period of read
ljustment to civil life, which it is the
intention of the Red Cross to help
fulfill through the home service. This
duty is particularly imperative in
cases where discharged men are phys
ically impaired through disease or
wounds. Even apart from these cases
however, the duty to discharged men
and their families will be of very large
scope during the months of and i'm
mediately following, rehabilitation.
The object in dealing with the known
needs of discharged men and their
families should be to aid them in ad
justing themselves to their existing
economic and social surroundings, in
the best manner possible. 1t is be-
lieved that the family of a man honor
ably discharged, when there is real OPP
portunity for acceptable service, should
be considered a proper object Of home
service during at least year after
discharge. Beyond that period each
such application for help may be dealt
with individually in the discretion of
the home service section.
Henceforth, home service applies to
all discharged soldiers and sailors
whether able-bodied or disabled and
their families and to the families of
deceased soldiers and sailors, wheth
er or not the families in either class
were known to home service sections
during the period in which their men
were in military or naval service.
Frequently a home service section
is asked by the relative of an enlisted
man to forward through the Red
Cross a statement of facts Indicating
that the man should be discharged.
In no case should the home service
section comply with such a request.
Il orfra1 ont OF II do
sires the Red Cross to continue TO act
only upon request from the mans
commanding officer. Such state
ments should be sent by the relatives
directly to the man so that he may
present them to his commanding Of
ficer Red Cross stationery must not
be used and Red Cross representatives
must not sign or witness such papers
The above also applies to applica-
lions for discharges or furloughs of
soldiers overseas, where death, crit
ical illness or other serious change in
home conditions shows that the sol
der is really needed at home. The
Paris office of the Red Cross took this
matter up with the army officials an6
was advised: Army authorities prefer
regular army procedure, namely
reasons for release signed by applicant
submitted to commanding officer fol
approval before going to the adjutan
general. Believe army authorities
would resent Red Cross interference
as releases will be rare" 1t will b'
noted from this statement that an en-
listed man in the American Expedit
ionary Forces cannot, generally speak
ing, be discharged or furloughed be
cause family conditions necessitat
his presence home.