The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-10-18
RED CROSS HEALS
WOUNDS OF WAR
$4,000 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.

NHeH Oh NONemOer IL the world
halts to observe the fourth anniver.
sNry of Armlstice 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 Il common traditions but the
wounds of war remain. They are not
healed in day, in a year, nor in four
years And Oh Armistice Day there
will be under treatment in Government
hospitals over 25,000 ex-scrvice men,
broken physically by wounds, expo
cure. nervous strain and exhaustion
incident to their service in the war.
The Government without stint is un-
dertaking 20 furnish these disabled
men with the compensation and med
ical care to which they are entitled,
yet their especial care Is a duty Of the
Red Cross. Why? Because the Gov
ernmcnt cannot handle the cases Of
eX-serrice men individually; 1t must
handle these men in bulk under q
standardized policy. The Government
has neither the authority, the funds
or the equipment for working out the
problem OF the individual man. There
Is where the American Red Cross
finds its greatest field for service, aid
ing through its very active Chapters
in reaching the disabled man with I'M
mediate practical help, assisting his
family while his claim Is emerging from
the process of adjustment, furnishing
articles Of comfort, funds to tide over
the difficult periods, the friendly touch
Of personal encouragement, helpful
recreation and worry -dispeling amuse-
ment. 1t Is the warm hand Of SYM
Dathy 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 llfe, thousands OF them with
wives and children dependent upon
them, and hundreds Of them frequent
ly helpless In the face Of grim ne
cessity
2,67e Chapters Aiding Veterans
In this work, upon whose accom-.
plishmcnt the Ala,rican Red Cross is
the Roll Call which opens on Armis-
ticc Day and closes with Thanksgiv-
ing Day, 26T9 Chapters in all parts Of
the lntry are engaged. This is $50
more than were working for cX-scrvice
men last year when approximately
$10,00O,OO0 was expended by the Ma
tonal Organization ana the Chapters
working together in harmonious unity
For the cnrrcat fiscal year National
Headquarters appropriated $3,030,-
G92.00, an increase Of $500, ,56OS4 over
the amount spent for the work among
cx-Scrvice men in the year ended June
90 last Since 1t Is estimated that the
Chapters will cXpend close to $1,000
600 from their own funds, the grand
total Of Red Cross expenditures for
reach the $10,000,000 mark by June 80
1923.
Hospital and District Office Work
During the fiscal year total Of over
1000 persons, paid and volunteer, has
been engaged in Red Cross duty in
hospitals or district offices Of the y. s.
Veterans Bureau. An average OF 5000
new cases requires definite and par
ticular attention each month. The dc.
mand for Chaptcr-made articles for
hospital patients is constant.
During last year Service Claims and
Information Service at National Head.
quarters handled 37,200 compensation
and insurance claims, 24,560 allotment
and allowance cases and 9700 miscel-
laneous claims. Since February, 1919,
1t has disposed Of 6i,174 allotment
checks payable to veterans which the
Post Office Department reported unde.
lverable
The Chapter IS the unit or the Red
Cross organization which Is accessible
to every disabled veteran or his fam,
lily. Between July I, 1921, and June 30,
1922, the Chapters had reported 1865.
O70 instances Of service to ex-servlte
men and their dependents, at cost
estimated from reports now at hand OF
more than $5,34O,000
The basis of this far-reachlng work
Of the Red Cross Is the individual
needs Of the disabled veteran to the
end that he may obtain his rights un.
der the law, that his especial wants
may be Immediately supplied, that his
own and his family's situation may be
rendered happy and cheerful, and that
their outlook for the future may
visualize incentives for Independent
and fruitful effort.