Evening star., 1919-10-12

Over 1000 discharged service men
disabled during the war. have applied
to the government for further hospi-
tai treatment, declares an announce
ment from national headquarters OF
the American Red Cross-"a very
small percentage of the ex-service
men who should take advantage OF
the governments liberal provision for
medical and surgical care for men
whose physical troubles may have de-
veloped after discharge from the serv-
F! ice as a result of injury suffered or
disease contracted while in line OF
duty"
| The Importance of reaching the So
[ 900 discharged disabled soldiers. sal
llors and marines with informatid
that they may call on Uncle Sam.
through the local Red Cross chapter
ther treatment free Of any cost and
with compensation paid also, If the
need is the outgrowth OF war service.
| will be strongly emphasized by speak
ers in the Red Cross membership cam
paign November 2 to II.
Forget Benefits Due Them.
getfulness, a surprising number OF
disabled men who have been dis
charged and scattered throughout the
country do not know of the benefits
which are still theirs" says the state
| ment.
THE public health service, with its
recently established network of dis
trict Offices and it's thirty-two hospi-
tails. is depending upon the 3,700 Red
Cross home service stations and their
h~o nh fo aa 10 l.,
| munity agent in searching out the
! more than $4,000 disabled service men
who are known to be at large. 1t is
probable that half this number need
dred tubercular soldiers are listed in
three gulf states. and to date less
than 200 have been persuaded to take
hospital treatment.
The process is as simple as one,
two, three. ALI an ex-service man has
to do is to report to his nearest Red
Cross. Arrangements will there be
made for him to receive a physical
examination by one of the district
| public health officers. and If his trou-
Bile is the result of his service in the
Army or Navy he will be given trans
portation and admittance to a public
health service hospital.
Separate Part Of Government.
"Td rather die than 90 back in the
Army!' is an expression often heard by
Red Cross workers. who find that the
ex-service men do not understand just
what the United States public health
service really is. They do not realize
ernment, and not connected with the
Army or Navy. The public health
service hospital is simply civilian
hospital to care for civilians who have
been disabled in government service.
Neither is there any inconvenience
to the soldiers relatives since COM
pensatfon payments are continued by
the war risk bureau. whether or not
! the man is taking hospital treatment.
| THE Red Cross is constantly discov-
erihg men who through ignorance or
prejudice are losing advantage of this
wonderful service. A second lieuten-
ant was found in Baltimore who had
never heard of public health service
or even compensation or vocational
! training, though he had lost the hear
ing in one ear and his face was para
lyzed. 1t required only few days to
get him into a hospital, where his face
has been Strengthened out and it is
probable that his hearing may be re-
stored.
| "A soldier from Macon. Ca, who
was wounded at -Thierry and
remained a whole year in a German
hospital. managed to get his discharge
| and return to his home, although his
wound was still open and he was un-
able to work. 1t required days Of pa
| tient persuasion on the part of a Red
| Cross worker to get him into a pub
lie health hospital at Jacksonville.
| Fla.
| "A big strong healthy boy, who en-
listed at Richmond. Va. had influenza
| last spring, followed by complications,
pleurisy, pneumonia and jaundice, and
| came out of the Army fearfully weak.
| When discovered by the Red Cross he
was In state Of nervous breakdown
and his family was discouraged al
| most to the point Of despair. He is
now. however, in a public health serv-
| ice hospital and on the road to a lne
| recovery.
Bureau Is Organized.