New Britain herald., 1919-09-18

how actual and vital our democracy is and what path it's future is to take.
 Home service has taken precisely this kind of work and is endeaVorlng to go about it in precisely this way. 1t depends for it's effectiveness upon keeping tho common touch, upon giV- ing friendly, neighborlN, dcmocratic service in quiet, friendly way. There is little of glamour about it, but there is everything of humanncSS. It is not strl.ingly romantic but if you have a genuinely humanitarian impulse, IF you believe in democracy, then homo service has a great deal to offer you. It takes you straight to the hearts of the people who have suffered most in the winning of the War-the families who gave husbands, brothers or sons to the national service. It is an essen- tial means of helping to keep the morale of the country unbrOken. It is not by any means dull or routine, for there is not a day that passes for any home service section that is without it's own special events of interest and Value."
 The incidents and narratives which follow give a glimpse of the attempt of New Britain home service section of the Rcd Cross to keep the "common tOuCh.''
 A gray haired father with tremb- ling hand silently spread before us the telegram bearing the words, "DeeplN regret to inform you that Pvt. ---- 1 Inf. killed in action, Oct. 25.' A sor- 1 rowing mother took from her bag a picture of her boy, and contided to us ] bits of his brief life history. Tn these 1 times above all others, we have felt | the privilege that has been given | home service. Then was there a press l ing need for the "common touch" of 1 which Kipling wrote.
 | Pvt S---- was killed in action at IS. He was the oldest son in a fam l fly of six children. The family lived in crowded tenement block. After 1 the first weeks of grief the mother l came to us with a plan. With her
 sons Liberty bond and insurance she | would purchase home of her own 1 which should be a memorial to her l son. home where her other children l could grow up in health and in good l surroundings.
 Information Service.
 A small boy stepped up to the In | formation Desk at the Homo Service
 office and asked:
 "Who is Chief Justice of the i Supreme Court? 9"
 After a search the information was
 given.
 "How did you happen to como
 here?" was asked.
 Tea cher told us to find out. My
 brother was killed in France, and I
 remembered that my father came up
 here, and you helped him out"
 Sit down in our office for an hour
 and watch the people who enter. It
 is as interesting as at a railway sta ton. They include mothers, fathers,
 wives, sisters, brothers, and tho sol- dier himself. They represent different , nationalities, different rank in mili- tary life, different conditions in civil , ian life They differ in education from the man who cannot sign his own name to the university graduate } and in rank from private to ma jOl'- t yet each awaits his turn without fa- vor or distinction. Democracy is tho | spirit which prevails in the Homo Service office.
 Correspondence. The postman has just deposited tnt Q incoming mail on the desk in tho 1 Home Service office. Such a Varloty | of messages as these letters contain
 Here are some from the Atlantic Di |, vision headquarters in New York o | Thousands of allotment checks haN' l. been returned to Washington bccaus V of change of address. Now the Bu # reau of War Risk Insurance asks th = Home Service sections to locate thcs - families so that the checks may b @ delivered We are asked to send