Evening star., 1921-04-17

| Nn/ lected Mrs. Edith Oliver Rea
v " OF Sewickly. Pa. to serve
as a member OF the COM
| mission Of eleven to investigate the
entire veteran relief situation he
choose the right person for the right
place.
Probably no woman in the United
States has been more of friend to
the wounded American soldier in the
I: late war than the heiress to the Oliver
and Rea millions. who for the past
four years has devoted herself un-
fare.
Scattered throughout the country
are thousands of overseas men who
give eloquent testimony to the COM
fort and help that she gave them
| when they were most in need of as
sistance. No soldier. sailor or marine.
who served his country during the
great conflict, and who came under
ler observation as a military hospital
patient ever left her jurisdiction
without feeling her motherly interest
in his well being.
"A
ington. ID. c.. where Mrs. Rea served
as the only woman field director in
the United States in the department
of military relief, American Red
Cross, she was idolized by the sick
and manned victims. Her deeds OF
first acts was to superintend the
erection of the Red Cross conva-
lescent house at the great govern
ment institution. She enlisted the
aid of her wealthy friends in fur
nishing the interior, and when 1t
building of its kind existed.
Her regime thereafter was marked
with constant success. Gathering
together the leading members of So
ciety and welfare work in Washing
ton, she. established corps of wom-
en- that Was unequaled in any other
military hospital in America. She
gave little, ii any, time to her social
obligations, spending day and night
at the uil reservation looking after
she came 10 he known among the
p..ients as tne 'DlS BOSS" Ior they
s..u Avu.u Lnat tney could accom-
p.ls.l i..ule Tor their personal wants
I.,A CuSn Il direct appear " uSI SueLo
.u. uueA nliilary cnannels.
several Incioents proved this to be
true. when a large detachment OF
wounded men arrived at the noSpltal
from Newport News and she learned
tnat they had not been paid In
months. she at once advanced loan
to every member of the detachment
~ tue aim over unui pay day. When
Christmas came and many of the men
wele wi.nout tundS TO return home
she again came to their rescue and
loaned them money. 1t can be said.
70 the credit OF the men. that in al
most every case She was repaid, death
or illness alone preventing restitu-
ton. Overhearing some disabled
IankS discussing the lack OF
''swimmin hole" in the summer OF
1919, Mrs. kea at once took up the
matter of swimming pool with
Surgeon General Merritte w. Ireland
OF the Army, and Col. James D. Glen
nan, commanding officer at the hos
pital Upon learning that there were
no funds available for the purpose,
Mrs. Rea announced that IL the War
Department would permit she would
build the boys q "swimmin' hole.
The permission was readily granted
and in a short time the boys were dis
porting in a $4,000 concrete tank.
which stands today a monument to
her memory. At the conclusion of
the war Mrs. Rea found the task SO
great that she decided to remain on
duty, and it was not until September
IS, 1919, that she resigned. The boys
took up a subscription OF dimes and
presented her with handsome silver
and gold cup. which stands today In
the front hall Of her palatial home At
Sewickly.
There has never been q weak pass
since that time that Nrx> -RAas hA&