The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-10-05
$1O,OOO,OOO AID
FOR VETERANS
Red Cross Provides Friendly
Service Of Many Kinds to
Army Of Disabled. j..
BULK OF WORK BY CHAPTERS
1897 Of These Are Helping Ex-
Service Men Obtain Bene-
fits U. S. Provides.

OuS uSlu Oh ENSu OI0SS ScANASS aAOAOp
that of assisting disabled veterans Of
the World War, entails expenditures
100000 greater than the aggregate
receipts of the Annual Roll Call of
1920, the American Red Cross an
nounces in a statement urging a wide
spread increase in membership at the
Annual Roll Call, November IL to "a.
At the present time National Head
quarters and the nationwide chain Of
Chapters of the Red Cross is spend
ing approximately $1O,OO01O00 annual
ly for the relief Of disabled ex-service
men and their families, while the ag-
gregate receipts from last years Roll
Call were approximately $6,000,O00.
1t is in the 2,289 Of the 5000 Red
Cross Chapters which still are helping
solve the veterans problem of adjust
ing himself to a normal civilian status
that the greater part Of the cost of this
service is borne. OF the total sum
spent for veterans relief last year,
National Headquarters expended a to-
tai of more than 100000, while the
remaining disbursement Of approx
mately 100000 represents the con-
tribution of Chapters in this country
wide effort to assist the Government
in providing the aid sorely needed by
these men and their families.
An Ever Expanding Problem
That the problem Of the disabled
service man Is ever-expanding and
probably will not reach the peak be-
fore 1925, is the assertion Of well-in-
formed Government officials and that
1897 Red Cross Chapters regard 1t
as their most important work is evil
dence that the expansion is In nowise
confined to a particular section but is,
on the contrary, nationwide. At the
end Of the fiscal year, June 80, 1921,
there were 26,3OO disabled service men
in the 1852 United States Public
Health Service, Contract and Govern
ment Hospitals and Soldiers Homes.
and that number is increasing at a
rate Of 1000 a month.
Thousands Of these men receiving
medical treatment, compensation and
vocational training from the Govern.
ment today, started their efforts to
obtain them through the Red Cross
Chapter. The Chapter, acting as the
disabled mans agent In claims against
the Government, informs the man as to
the procedure necessary to gain for
him that which is provided him by
Federal statute. His applications for
compensation, medical treatment and
training are properly filed with the aid
Of the Red Cross Chapter.
Many Forms Of Assistance
If there is delay before the mans
claim is acted upon, the Red Cross
Chapter lends the man money to meet
the imperative needs of himself and
his dependents.
Most vital to the mans gaining full
benefit from the Governments care is
keeping his mind free from worry about
his home. Keeping the veterans fam
lily from hardship Of every kind and
informing him Of its welfare is an.
other province of the Chapter. Free
from fear on this score, the mans re-
covery and advancement usually is
rapid.
Every month during the last year,
the American Red Cross has given
service Of one kind or another to an
average Of 1925 former service men
and their families. An indication Of
the extent of the faith reposed in the
Red Cross Chapter is to be found in
the fact that there were 356,544 re-
quests for friendly aid in the solution
Of personal problems.
44s Workers In Hospitals
While the man prior to entering
Government care deals largely with the
Chapter, afterward he comes into con-
tact with the service provided by Ma
tional Headquarters. There are 448
Red Cross workers in the United
States Public Health Service and con-
tract hospitals and other Institutions
in which these men are being cared
for, whose duty Is to provide for his
recreation, help him with his compen-
sation claims, keep him in touch with
his family in short. meeting his every
need outside Of that provided by the
Government While these are a few
Of the responsibilities Of the National
Organization, they are by no means
all. Ameng other Red Cross accom-
plishments for the year are:
1t handled 70,7S2 allotment and al
lowance claims.
1t delivered through us Chapter or
ganizatiOn 63,655 allotment checks to
veterans who had moved from the adj
dresses furnished to the Bure0u OF
War Risk Insurance.
It provided special fund Of 10000
for medical assistance to men under
vocational training.
1t made 32,495 loans totaling $3.50. 600
to men taking vocational training, OF
which IS per cent has been repaid.