The Press., 1919-11-13
RED! I! GROSS HELPS
 IN INSTANCES OF
 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 fig-t- 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 flung 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 II, 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 cdents 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 by 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 way to help, often under picturesque. even romantic, circumstances.
 By Camel Across the Desert
 There was lonely Syrian mother livinS four days by camel across the desert from Damascus. Her son. George Hamway. having emigrateG 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, 900 insurance.
 In the uncertainty developing, the matter was placed in the hands of the American Red Cross Mission to Pal. 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 cerLlucatlou -. arded to Washington, the old lady returning to her lowly home to await the remit tances that will Case 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 Antonio, had enlisted and was fightine for them in France.
 Antonio, meantime, had for months been making frantic efforts to learr what had become of Hla father anC mother. Red Cross Home Service | WOrKel5 in Italy .u..uucted Gn inves tigatlon, and a few weeks ago were able to send word to Antonio, who sur vived the fighting, .-..utS had been found, .,. released iron captivity in Austria, and that the Rec Cross woul,- assist them until his allotment money could reach Italy.
 In the rush of gettiA- American soldiers home from France the dough boy didn't have much time to wind UT his affairs there. Not long ago Home Service received from a demobilized soldier ill this country a letter and affidavit showing he had 5000 francs on deposit in France and asking ths :. .eu Cross to Sc. Jim. All the soldier had remembered was the name of the town, the name ot Lne 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
 
 had authority to collect the little for tune, aud they turned it over to 3s forwarded to the former soldier. But the romance of Home Servlce 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. borlineSs without unwanted intrusion providing those who otherwise could not have it's assistance in meeting the many problems confronting fam lilies whose head or supporting son Is called from them.