The Neshoba Democrat., 1920-10-28
PEACE PROGRAM IN FULL SWING

in home hygiene and care of the sick,
the value of first aid was demonstrat.
ed in the school, the factory and the
mind, and a know-your-community.
better spirit was born in districts.
which before the war and its enlight.
ening figures on the health, or lack OF
it, of the nation, had been Indifferent
to the community's social and econom-
ic problems.
Public Health Nurse.
"At this time the public health
nurse became what she Is now, the
health adviser Of thousands of COM
munities scattered all over the coun
try" according to Mr.. Hopkins. He
said there now are three or four thou
sand of these nurses working In both
country and city districts and that
the demand for their services is so
great there are two thousand requests
it Is impossible to fill at present.
Schools of training are being set up
in many cities by the Red Cross for
the purpose Of training graduate
nurses for duties of public health d1-
rectors, but as soon as class Is grad
uated from one of these schools all Its
members are sent straight to work in
places that already have been waiting
months for them.
"The public health nurse" continued
Mr.. Hopkins, may be used to typify
our whole program, which at the base.
is health. She Is the watcher and the
caretaker of the public health of a
community. One Of her first duties Is
inspection Of the school children.
Other duties are teaching local men,
bers Of the Red Cross how to do the
simple nursing often required in the
home. A nurse does a lot of family
work also, visiting places and homes
where persons are Ill and instructing
in the care which should be given.
Social Service Developed.
During the time since the ending
Of the war the whole aim of the Red
Cross endeavor has been to get back
to a peacetime basis" said Mr.. Hop
kins, "and l believe that this has been
accomplished in manner and to an
extent which has not been equaled by
any other organization or in any other
pase Of American life. An organiza
tion which reached its growth having
been built for war service, which
worked under patriot pressure during
the need, and which existed then only
to supply the war needs of the coun-
try, now has been successfully turned
to peaceful social service. And this
social service is being carried on a
scale hitherto undreamed of by social
workers.
"The experience Of the past two
years has brought about new social
order.
There is now a nationwide recog.
milton of many Of the issues that be-
fore were clearly seen only by our
most advanced thinkers in social sci
ence and social service.
Gall over the United States there is
keener appreciation OF organized
community life, deeper sense of So
cial responsibility, and a demand for
efficient, trained community leader
ship. Before the war social service
was largely limited to the city and
was conducted on philanthropic
basis. Now it bids fair to become an
asset of the smaller communities, vii.
lagos and countrysides, and to be look
ed at from a public not so much a
philanthropic point Of view. 1t is to
be more public service for all the
people, rather than for just the sub
merged tenth Its emphasis Is more
on prevention Of social problems and
on development of community and
family resources, instead Of curative
measures.
Gwen in family work, it is building
up a new approach to the family, ad-
mitting a normal neighborly develop
ment of family life, and meeting
needs before they become dangerous
and disastrous.
Home Service Extended.
Three thousand six hundred and
eighteen Red Cross chapters are now
organized for social service. The ac-
tivity is carried on in all Of the 733
places in the United States of 5000
or more population, and the 2,S45 chap
ter towns having population Of less
than 5000. More than 100000 soldiers
and sailors families have come to the
Red Cross for information, counsel or
service. approximately 10000 men
and women have served as members
of home service stations.
Home service, then, war-born, bred
as an emergency measure, favored by
conditions, spread to all parts OF The
United States. 1t has extended, as
has no other social movement, into the
small towns and open country, 1t has
served constituency larger and more
democratic than was ever served be-
fore by volunteer agency. 1t has op-
Grated on the principle Of local re-
sponsibility and local control. It has
developed an appreciation of training
for service and demand for trained
service"