The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-02-20

,rorls .bro,,b Walter Reed is and will he bound
up with the hopes of thousands OF men anu "'~',
families. Working with these army doc'oIs IN"
surgeons is the American Red Cross helping to
complete the bridge between the families ana the
men during their separation through its commune
cation service its various hospital services ana IN
all kinds Of ways through its home service from
buying buttons pricing certain Klhd OF
spiral puttees on boys request, to arranging
for his war risk insurance, or perhaps hospnai
treatment for some member of a mans family IN
a far-away town.
In the convalescent house there Is the great
open fireplace with its cracking fire, books, flow
ers games music. Every week one of the WASH
ington theaterS sends out several OF It's acts.
After classes the men pour in. some of those VINO
have lain so helpless weeks before, now in
wheeled chairs engrossed in some handwork yet
eager for the music and the fun. Others come to
say "good-by" before the visit home You would
not guess that this boy had ever lost leg or
that an artificial arm could become so deXterous
as some you here.
A leaf from the Red Cross entertainment book
is interesting. These events, planned from the
outside, arranged through application TO tle
recreational staff of the Red Cross at the post
Here are characteristic items: Seventy boys 10
Keith's theater and supper; one hundred boys TO
Mount Vernon; three boys to birthday party for
Sergeant; forty-five on sightseeing bus tour,
and so and on
"Why, sergeant where Is your new leg
thought you were so proud OFF, one Of the work
ers calls to boy n crutch. Il loaned it to
Jim. He had a pass to 20 to town. he answers.
A boy, wearing carefully wrapped puttees,
comes along in a wheeled chair. Did you find
out about those other puts?" he asks the Red
Cross lady" "Yes, and there is only pair in
town and they cost twelve dollars" Il guess
we'll have to go without" he says; and there fol-
into cd ohOut q
to be addressed to a girl back home
A young boy who had lost one leg and one foot
was having attached for the first time the artl-
fetal leg on which, with a crutch, he soon was
going to try to walk. To support himself he had
one arm around his army surgeon, the other
around the Red Cross man. He was making great
bravado, though his face white. When the
apparatus was attached he asked to sit down.
The surgeon and the Red Cross man helped him
into chair. With long sigh he settled the
new" leg firmly the floor and then flung what
was left of the other leg over it. Though 1.-The
beads of sweat were still on his face he looked up
nertly with his head cooked. "Gee." he said, "if
YOU hadn't crossed your legs for eleven months
you'd know how feel"
These men are of those who have given their
breasts bulwark and their blood moat" They
have given too great thing to need any kind of
sympathy except the supreme one of understand
ing The medical department of the army and
the Red Cross make q cycle of efort-sOcal.
human physical, mental. In this work of recon-
struction there may be found literally life more
abundant AS these men leave hospital and uni
FORM and come back to the famar-strange civil
ian world the public will take up its part; and
each man will be, If he utilities the opportunities
open to him, and society does not exploit him. an
independent asset in place of a dependent or n
charity liability.