The Redwood gazette., 1920-07-21
Red Cross Job
Not Yet Finished
BUREAU OF AFTER-CARE AD-
JUSTING AFFAIRS OF MANY
EX- SERVICE MEN.

JUsTING AFFAIRS OF MANY
EX-SERVICE MEN.
With the departure of George D.
White, who has recently resigned
as associate director in charge OF
| After Care for the Northern Division
of the Red Cross to do social work
| in Turkey, comes realization of the
magnitude of case work handled by
the department, according to Miss
Henrietta Lund, who has temporarily
| succeeded Mr. White.
"In spite of the fact that there is
a general opinion that Red Cross pro-
blems have decreased till they are
negligible, I find that the bureau of
After Care is still handling over 5000
cases a month concerning returned
service men," said Miss Lund.
There are still large number of
soldiers in Twin City hospitals where
the Red Cross is able in a measure to
relieve the tedium of convalescence.
A social worker is maintained in st.
Mary's where, almost any time dur
ing her duty hours, there is a waiting
| line of men who are anxious for
sympathetic chat. The Red Cross COM
municates with the home folk and the
chairman of their local chapter also,
Sc that the interests of the boys are
cared for at both ends and SO that the
convalescent may make his recovery
in comfort.
Adjustments of matters which
should have been settled with the sign
ing of the armistice are still recurr-
ing, allotments which have never been
received, allowances which went as
tray, insurance which was unrecov-
cred or lapsed, discharged papers
which were lost, and compensation
which has never been applied for. For
instance, a stranded soldier came to
the Red Cross for money relief, but
as he was physically well there was
none due him. Questioning revealed
| that he had been in hospital in
| France for six months, during which
time he had received no compensation
| for his wounds. The Bureau Of After
| Care put in his claim for compensa-
tion which was justly his, and advanc-
! ed him the money he needed for his
emergency
Bonuses, both the government one
of $4,000 and the Minnesota State
Bonus are often procured through the
Red Cross. In the former case, the
soldier may have been discharged
prior to the order, or he may have
had some irregularity which prevent
ed him getting this additional money.
In the latter case necessary papers
may have been lost, in which case the
Red Cross get duplicates, which are
officially acceptable. There is little
money in the Minnesota bonus treas
ury, and an arrangement with Adju-
tant General Rhinow has made it pos
sible for needy Red Cross cases to
get their bonuses out of order
| Advice concerning insurance is an
important function of the Bureau of
After Care, which urges reinstatement
of government insurance until such a
/, time as the man feels he can afford
to convert advantageously Some men
ave never received the travel pa
they should have. Transients and
| stranded men lack funds temporarily.
Vocational training is financed thru
personal loans, which may be repaid
according to arrangement. In MAY
the Northern Division gave out S9O7.-
SO in hospital loans.
Missing men are another problem of
the bureau, Miss Lund says. Often
| they are mental cases, recovering from
| shell shock. Comrades have seen them
here and there, and yet the memory
which might bring them home has
gone. They often drift about the coun-
try, receiving Red Cross and hospital
care at various points, yet with the
essential points of their history un-
fathomab1e.
Correspondence with the Danish
and Swiss Red Cross give$s Americans
an opportunity to send money to bel
lgerent countries, or to get informa-
ton concerning members of families
that have not been heard of during
the war. Canadian soldiers also come
under the case cores pondence of the
bureau. Naturalization is another
important phase of the work, for aliens
who have fought for this country gem
orally wish TO take out the papers
which make them citizens. Social and
family histories for discharge, for dis
| ciplinary barracks, or Health Service
hospitals also entail an immense am
cunt of record keeping
Applications for treatment or train
ing also receive follow-up work, for
once man shows that he needs the
Red Cross, he is not permitted to slip.
through their fingers. For instance,
a soldier may pass his physical ex-
animation when he is mustered out
and yet ~show tuberculosis within a.
short time. He may apply to the Red
Continued on last page.