Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-30

The District of Columbia Chapter
of the American Red Cross is host
today and tomorrow to delegates
! from chapters in thirty-three sur
| rounding counties in Maryland, Vir-
ginia and West Virginia, the ocea-
sion being the eighth and last of a
series of important group conferences
held by the Potomac division. which
| comprises these three states and the
District
| Sessions began this morning in the
| Church of the Epiphany, G street
northwest, and will conclude at 4:30
| o'clock tomorrow afternoon. after a
| thorough discussion of matters vital
to the public health of the divisions
| territory.
Miss Mabel T. Boardman, newly
appointed District Commissioner. and
! secretary of the National Red Cross,
| called the conference to order, but
| had to leave soon thereafter in order
! to work on the estimates for Con-
! gress. Following the invocation by
| Rev. F. H. Hall, acting rector of
| Epiphany Church, Mrs. Theodore w.
| Richards, acting chairman of the Dis
| trict of Columbia Chapter, was in
troduced by Miss Boardman and Of
/! ficially welcomed the visitors and
the. various officials of the Potomac
division, expressing the hope that
| similar conferences in the near flu
| ture will be held in the contemplated
| and greatly needed chapter house the
| local branch desires to build.
Responds to Welcome.
In responding to this welcome,
Thomas De c. Ruth, manager of the
Potomac division, pointed out in how
great a degree the disclosures of the
H. n
particular emphasis in the future on
| that part of its duties as set forth in
the congressional charter of 1905,
which charges the organization ito
devise and carry on measures for pre-
venting disease and disaster"
That the health center movement.
latest step in the development of
methods of disease prevention. now
towering the country is ardentiy
| backed by the Red Cross, and that the
Red Cross health center is intended
to focus all the health work. of each
was emphasized by DR.. Paul B. John
son. director of the department of
health service of the Potomac
division.
! "The Red Cross health center puts
| the idea of health into the commun-
iity," he said, in part, land simply by
virtue of its existence it silently re-
iterates the idea that something is
doing there for preventing sickness.
Even the crossroads general store and
post Office, if the storekeeper is inter-
ested, may become branch health
center. with pamphlets for free dis
tribution and posters to be- changed
every week or two
| Concerned Over Disabled Men.
| Other addresses this morning were by
Miss Nellie F. Oxley, acting director
of the department of nursing Of the
Potomac division. who spoke on What
the Public Health Nurse Should Dc
for the Community" and by F. W
Doherty, who dealt with the topic
Serving the Service Men"
The morning session adjourned al
noon, Mrs. Issac w. Littell, chairman
OF the District of Columbia Canteen
Corps. inviting the delegates and
which had been prepared by the
women of her committee and which
was served in adjoining rooms.
The rehabilitation of the disabled
veterans of the world war; in addition
to being the unfinished obligation o,
presents a matter of deep concern te
all communities from an economic
standpoint, according to William
Leake Hewson. assistant manager anc
director. department of civilian relief
of the Potomac division, who spoke
early this afternoon.
4 Frederick county, Md he said
saw to it that every one of the 1,20(
Il men who entered service from theil
county took out $4,000 government life
insurance. on the theory that if 1 pei
cent. or IL, of these 1900 men should die
or become totally and permanently dis
abled without insurance, it would rep
resent a loss to the community of $780,
"If proper advantage is taken of the
governmental provision for the treat
meRt and compensation of these disabled
veterans, not a single one of them neeC
become a charge upon the community
But all men are not aware of the pro-
visions the government has made. oil
else do not realize the Importance Of
taking advantage OF these provisions and
otherwise protecting their rights under
the war risk insurance act. 1t is min.
istering to the needs and ehabilitatior
of these disabled men that Is the unfin
ished responsibility of the home service
sections.
ut was only after careful considera-
ton that the decision was arrived at to
authorize home service sections to eX.
tend to civilian families the same sort
of service they were rendering to sol
diers and sailors and their families. pro-
viding the chapters abided by Red Cross
regulations. At the present time there
are twenty-five chapters in the Potomac
division. which have been authorized tc
undertake the extension of home servicf
as a peaee-time activity"
J Junior Activity Described.
II Numerous and varied helpful activ-
tiles of the Junior Red Cross were de-
/ seribed by C, w. Dickinson, jr.. di,
rector Of that department of the Peto.
] mac division, while F. C. Munroe, gen
eral manager Of the national organi.
zatfon, opened the afternoon session
with comprehensive address OF
"The Peace time Program of the
L American Red Cross" From $3.50 un-
til s pm. the conference will split VI
into half dozen round-table discus.
sion.
From until o'clock the hostess
committee will give an informal re-
ception to the delegates at the Dis.
trict chapter house, 16 Jackson place
Henry B. F, mcfarland will preside
over tonight's meeting, which con.
venes at $3.50 o'clock. and which will
be featured by addresses by DIR. Erwin
A. Peterson, national director of the
department Of health service, and by
Miss Beardman. and which will con.
clude with Red Cross motion pictures