The independent-reporter., 1921-10-27
s1O,OOO,OOO AID
FOR VETERANS
Red Cross Provides Friendly
Service OF Many Kinds to
Army of Disabled.
BULK OF WORK BY CHAPTERS
1897 of These Are Helping Ex-
Service Men Obtain Bene-
fits u. S. Provides.

that of assisting disabled veterans Of
the World War, entails expenditures
1900, 900 greater than the aggregate
receipts of the Annual Roll Call OF
1920. the American Red Cross an
nsunces 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
Chapters of the Red Cross Is spend
ing approximately S10000.000 annual
ly for the relief of disabled ex-service
men and their families, while the ag
gregate receipts from last years Roll
Call we're approximately Ss,0oo.oO0.
1t Is In the 2,2S9 of the 1900 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 boSe.. OF the total sum
spent for veterans relief last year,
National Headquarters expended a to-
tai of more than $1,000. 900, while the
remaining disbursement of approx
mately s7.oo00O0 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-expnnding 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 IL
as their most important work Is evil
dence that the expansion is In n0wise
confined to particular section but is.
on the contrary. nationwide. At the
end of the fiscal year, June 80, 1921,
there were 26,300 disabled service men
In the 1,692 United States Public
Health Service, Contract and Govern
ment Hospitals and Soldiers Homes,
and that number is increasing at a
rate of LOCO a month
Thousands of these men receiving
! medical treatment. compensation aud
vocational training from the Govern
, ment tOd3", Etarted 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 ds 20
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
II 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
his home. Keeping the veterans fam.
lily from hardship of every kind and
informing him of its welfare Is an
ether 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 nm
average of 129,215 former service men
and their families. An indication oi
thc extent of the faith reposed in the
Red Cross Chapter Is TO he found in
The fact TINT there were 3a6.544 re
quests for friendly mid In the solution
of personal problems.
44a Workers in Hospitals
While the man prior to entering
Government care deals largely with the
Chapter. afterward he comes into con.
tact with thS service provided by Ma
tional Headquarters. There are AS
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
recrention. help him with his compen-
sation claims. keep him I'm touch with
his family. in short. meeting his every
need ous side of that provided by the
Government. While these are few
Of the responsibilities of the National
Organization, they are by no means
all. Among other Red Cross accom-
pllshments for the year are:
1t handled 70,732 allotment and al.
loWance claims
1t delivered through its CHAPTER or.
ganization 63.6l5 allotment checks n
veterans Who had moved from the ad
dresses furnished to the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance.
1t provided special fund OF $1,000
for medical assistance to men under
vocational trimming.
1t made 20. 495 loans totaling $3.50. .OO1
to mon taking vocational training. OF