The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-05-11
What The Red Cross is Doing
- For Disabled Service Men.

the United States Public Health
Service, and, in some instances, the
Bureau of War Risk Insurance, with
one or more Of which the man has to
do business before his compensation
claim is allowed and he is accepted
for hospital care or training, he will
find Red Cross representatives to
help him along the, way. More forms
and affidavits may be necessary. All
sorts of practical details, such as
railroad fares, hospital clothing,
temporary lodging and similar mat
tiers need attention. To these the Red
Cross workers address themselves
and iron out the wrinkles. Money
from national funds to the extent Of
Is the very best Oil Stove on the
$243,O0O was made available for
loans during the last six months of
1920, for assistance to men awaiting
remittances from the Government.
Some of this has had to be written
off the books by the Red Cross, but
in a surprising number Of cases the
men have been able to pay it back.
II the man is sent to a United
States Public Health Service Hospi-
tai, there again he will find a Red
Cross representative trained med
ical social worker. This worker
tries to aid the doctors in making
correct diagnoses, by getting infor-
nation through the local Chapter,
from the mans family, or from a
former physician, about the history
of his case. While he is in the hospi-
tai these workers are at his service
for all sorts of lifts over the hard
places-writing letters for him,
pushing his claims. helping him with
supplies before his compensation ar
rives, and acting as information desk
and service station generally.
In addition to this, the Red Cross
furnishes certain kinds of recreation,
such as motion pictures, games, mus
ic, cts. This hospital service alone
costs the national funds of the Red
Cross something over million dol
lars year. Three hundred people
are employed in the sixty-one hospi-
tails to do this work. Not only is the
Red Cross in the United States Pub
lie Health Service Hospitals which
admit discharged disabled men, but
also in the Army and Navy Hospitals
which care for the disabled men not
yet discharged from the service.
Reaching The Long Soldiers
At the present time the Govern
ment is using more than thousand
contract hospitals for the care of dis
charged disabled men. In some of
these there may be only few men /;
in others there may be many. FIRE.
quently the superintendents of these
hospitals are not familiar with the
rights and privileges which the Gov
eminent is providing for these men
and with all the minutiae of the gov
ernmental procedure in procuring
the benefits. The Red Cross feels
Just as responsible for getting in
touch with the soldier who may be
alone in one of these as to the thous-
ands of soldiers in the large Govern
ment Hospitals.
To assist those who are candidates
for re-education under the Federal
Board of Vocational Education, there
are Red Cross representatives in the
district offices of the Vocational
Board who have filled the gaps in
much the same way as in the Other
governmental offices. Their>interest
is in the human and personal prob
lens which block the way of the
man in, getting what he most needs
At some of the training centers, the
Red Cross CHAPTERS have tried to
give these students some of the
things that the other boys have and
that all men ought to have. Board
ing clubs have been developed and
several other features have beer
worked out.