The Adair County news., 1922-10-24
RED CROSS HEALS
WOUNDS OF WAR.
25,0oO Disabled Ex-Service Men
in Hospitals After Four
Years of Peace.
CHAPTERS FIELD OF SERVICE
Every Veteran Needing Help Gets
Individual Attention of Sym
pathetic Workers.

N.
When on November IL the world
halts to observe the fourth anniver-
sary of Armistiee Day, and the Ameri-
can Red Cross inaugurates its Annual
Roll Call for the enrolment of the
1923 membership, the people of the
United States may well pause to think
Of the unparalleled contribution to the
cause of peace made by our Army and
Navy In the World War. The glory OF
1t is a common tradition; but the
wounds of war remain. They are not
healed in a day, in a year, nor in four
years. And on ArmiStice Day there
will be under treatment in Government
hospitals over 25,0O0 ex-service men,
broken physically by wounds, expo,
sure, nervous strain and exhaustion
incident to their service in the war.
The Government without stint is un-
dertaking to furnish these disabled
men with the compensation and med,
ical care to which they are entitled,
yet their especial care is n duty of the
Red Cross. Why? Because the Gov.
ernment cannot handle The cases OF
ex-serVice men individually; 1t must
handle these men in bulk under a
standardized policy. The Government
has neither the authority, the funds
or the equipment for working out the
problem of the individual man. Thete
is where the American Led Cross
finds its greatest field for service, aid.
ing through its very @"'ire Chapters
in reaching the disah'"'I .nan with i'm.
mediate practical eIp, assisting his
family while his Gle IN is emerging from
the process of adi iustment, furnishing
articles Of comfort. funds to tide over
the difficult periods, the friendly touch
of personal encouragement, helpful
recreation and worry y-diSpelling amuse
ment. It is the warm hand Of sym
pathy and understanding which the
. American Red Cross extends to the
majority of these disabled ex-service
men, some Of them friendless in the
whirl Of life, thousands of them with
wives and children dependent upor
them, and hundreds of them frequent
1y helpless in the face Of grim ne
cessity.
2,67e Chapters Aiding Veterans
In this work, upon whose accom-
pIishment the American Red Cross 1.
urging a record-breaking enrolment il
the Roll Call which opens on Armis
tice Day and closes with Thanksgiv
ing Day, 2,679 Chapters in all parts o.
the country are engaged. This is 35(
more than were working for ex-servic'
men last year when approximAtel!
$10OO0,O00 was expended by the Ma
tional Organization and the Chapter!
working together in harmonious unity
For the current fiscal year Nationa
Headquarters appropriated 5000,
69290, an increase of $685., ,560.S4 ovel
the amount spent for the work amonI
ex-service men in the year ended june
80 last. Since it is estimated that the
Chapters will expend close to $1,000,
600 from their own funds, the grand
total Of Red Cross expenditures fol
this single work is expected again t.
reach the $10,O00yOO0 mark by June 80
1928.
Hospital and District Office Work
During the fiscal year a total of ovel
1000 persons, paid and volunteer, ha!
been engaged in Red Cross duty il
hospitals or district Offices of the q.
Veterans Bureau. An average of 500
new cases requires definite and par
ticular attention each month. The de
mand for Chapter-made articles TO
hospital patients is constant.
During last year Service Claims ant
Information Service at National Head
quarters handled 1920 compensation
and insurance claims, 1850 allotmen
and allowance cases, and 900 miscel
Ianeous claims. Since February, 1919
il has disposed of Gaia allotmen
checks payable to veterans, which tn,
Post Office Department reported unde
liverable.
The Chapter is the unit of the Re-
Cross organization, which is accessible
TO every disabled veteran or his fam
ily. Between July 1, 1921, and June &c
1922, the Chapters had reported 1865
O79 instances of service to ex-servic
men and their dependents, at cos
estimated from report now at hand o
more than $5,S40,O0O.
The basis of this far-reaching worl
of the. Red Cross is the individua
needs of the disabled veteran to tn
end that he may obtain his rights un
der the law, that his especial want
may be Immediately supplied, that hi
own and his family's situation may b
rendered happy and cheerful, and tha
their outlook for the future ma
visualize incentives for independen
and fruitful effort.
Spread Christmas Joy Abroad