Connecticut western news., 1919-11-06
RED CRoSS'AELPS
 IN INSTANCES 0E
 STRESS AND NEED
The Romance of Home Ser vice Is Seen in the Desert of Damascus as Well as
 in America

The dependents of Americas fight ing men are being cared for wherever they may be and whatever may be the difficulties of reaching them. In this task American Red Cross Home Serv- ice has been of far-fung usefulness, the record established by it proving so gratifying that Home Service, which has been confined to assistance of the families of soldiers and sailors, is now being expanded to be of general use- fitness to the people.
 One of the purposes of the Third Roll Call for members, November 2 to Il, is to enable the Red Cross to carry out an enlarged program of Home Service throughout the United States.
 The helping hand of Home Service Is strikingly portrayed in scores of in- cidents reported to Red Cross head quarters. Wherever the families of American fighters were, Red Cross Home Service workers have found them, even in the mountain fastnesses or deserts of distant countries, helping them communicate with their loved ones and particularly seeing to it that funds allotted to them bv their boys actually reached them. In innumera- ble instances, too, returned doughboys have turned to Home Service to help them in a wide variety of problems. Whatever the help required, Home Service men and women, of whom there are thousands especially trained for the work, have found a way to help, often under picturesque, even romantic, circumstances.
 By Camel Across the Desert.
 There was a lonely Syrian mother living four days by camel across the desert from Damascus. Her son, George Hamway, having emigrated to America, responded to the call to the colors in 1917 and fell fighting in the Argonne. leaving only vague address of his mother. It was found when the War Risk Insurance Bureau under took to begin payments to her on his $5,0C0 insurance.
 In the uncertainty developing, the matter was placed in the hands of the American Red Cross Mission to Pal. 1 estine as a routine Home Service case. Long searching located the aged moth CT, and she was brought to Damascus by camel, accompanied by witnesses. Bedouins in full gala attire of the des- ert. After much palaver the identity of the woman was fully established and certitication awarded to Washington, the old lady returning to her lowly home to await the remit tances that will ease her remaining days.
 Antonio and Angela del Ruppo were fairly well-to-do folks with little farm in Treviso, about three miles from the Piave. When the war came to that part of Italy they were driven out of their home into A .,Ory as prisoners, while their little farm be- came a battlefield. They were held as farm laborers in Austria, knowing nothing of the real prog ne fighting. They never heard that the United States had entered the war and that their son in that country. l Antonio, had enlisted and was fighting ] for them in France.
 ] Antonio, meantime, had for months been making frantic efforts to learn what had become Of n4s rather and i mother. Red Cross Home Service ] woIAeI ill italy ,uu4ucted Gn inves- ] tigauon, and a few weeks ago were able to send word to Antonio, who sur. vived the fighting, .-- -,---4Is had been found, . ..'t released from captivity in Austria, and that the Red Cross woulI assist them until his allotment money could reach Italy.
 In the rush of gettl4- ,--~ American 1 soldiers home from France the dough- boy didn't have much time to wind up his affairs there. Not long ago Home Service received from a demobilized soldier in this country a letter and affidavit showing he had 5000 francs on deposit in France and asking the d Cross to 6-. .Ur nim. All the soldier had remembered was the name of the town, the name of the bank he had forgotten and his bank book had been lost in action.
 By the process of elimination Home Service workers located the bank and the deposit, the bank officials accept ing the word of tne I.ed Cross that it had authority to collect the little for tune, and they turned it over to be forwarded to the former soldier.
 But the romance of Home Service has not been confined to work that carried it's representatives to remote spots in the Old World. Here in the United States Home Service emer- gency cases called Red Cross workers to many out-of-the-way places on CT rands varied and sometimes romantic.
 Home Service is substantial neigh
 boriiness without unwanted intrusion, [,
 providing those who otherwise could
 not have it's assistance in meeting
 the many problems confronting fam
 flies whose head or supporting son is i