The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-01-07
RED CROSS DUTY
TOAD VETERANS
Spends Nearly Four Millions IN
Year to Lessen Burdens of
Disabled Soldiers.
SERVES 63,7oO IN HOSPITALS
Every Case Is Given Individual
SerWce-ASSists Families of
These Men Everywhere.

Washington.-The need of individ
ual assistance by ex-service men and
their families from the Red Cross is
as pressing today as it was imme
diately after the end OF the World
war. For six years this work has
Deen foremost of all Red Cross ser
vices, and in emphasizing the steady
pubic support of this work the Red
cross National Headquarters urges
the largest enrolment this year dur.
ing the membership campaign open.
ing on Armistice Day, November IL.
Nearly four million dollars of Red
Cross funds spent for disabled veter.
ans and their dependents during the
year ended June 30 last presents some
idea OF the magnitude of this work.
the current year, it is estimated, will
call Tor still further disbursements of
FUNDS for the reason that the Red
Cross, through more than $500 Chap.
tiers in as many communities in the
United States, has been called upon
to help the ex-service men in making
out their applications for the adjusted
compensation granted in the so-called
bonus law
ss,7s7 Soldier Cases a Month
The Red Cross work for the dis.
abled soldier is designated home ser.
vice. for it gives individual attention
to the man and his family approx.
mating the interest and loving care
OF the home. Such service in the hos.
pitfalls, camps, soldiers homes and
sanatoria. averaged 33,951 cases a
month during the year. Assistance
to ex-serviee men and their Deepen.
dents averaged 5S,767 cases a month.
In addition, the Red Cross in the last
twelve months provided $4,000 recre-
alton and entertainment events in the
hospitals and camps
Thus the Red Cross, symbolized as
the Greatest Mother" still watches
over these many thousands of men,
comforts them, helps to tighten Che te.
dunn OF their physical reconstruction,
and in their homes lifts some of the
OuAoChS AIOut lnCI OWA pGOpIc.
Work in Communities Increases
The home service of the Red Cross
was the most pressing duty Of 2,60S
Chapters, an increase of 1872 communi
ties where problems affected by the
war veterans condition required so
luton through immediate and intelli
gent assistance. The Chapters alone
expended some $2,00O,OOO in this
work 4H+t
The transient disabled soldier, usu
ally suffering from disability or tuber
culosis, is almost everywhere a grave
problem. From national funds the
past year $173.076 81 was expended il
helping the Chapters to care for these
wandering men.
According to government repori
there are 1890 veterans in civilian in
stitutions, and in the national homes
for soldiers the complications are in
creasing. The large groups. of pa
tients whose claims have been disal
lowed, of veterans of foreign wars
and the great number of men perma
nently resident in. these institutions
call for Red Cross work which can
not be avoided nor denied
Definite Service to 1900
OF total of $500 ex-service men
in hospitals and other institutions 10,
700 were rendered a definite and spe
In single month 4.1S5 new cases
were presented and a total of 2O,12.
was acted upon-figures which serve
to illustrate the magnitude of the in
formation and claims service engag
ing the attention of Red: Cross work
ers. New veteran legislation amend
ing the War Risk act which extends
many additional rights to disabled ex
service men will reopen thousands oil
cases and require still greater Red
Cross service.
When Congress granted a charte,
to the American Red Cross it charged
the organization with the duty to act
as ''the medium of communication be
tween the American people and their
Army and Navy" This responsibility
to the enlisted men and their families
is met every year without restriction
Serves Men on Active Service
The extent of this Red Cross activ.
ity during the last year embraced a
total of 1926 cases. There were
$685. separate soldiers and sailors
claims; 20,316 Investigations of home
conditions; 11,421 cases related to dis
charges, furloughs. etc. Assistance
was given in 1858 instances for per.
sonal, business or family problems;
744,2 20 visits were made to the sick
or disabled, and nearly 10000 letters
and kilograms dispatched to the
homes of enlisted men.
From June to September at the nu-
merous military training camps the
Red Cross provided information and
home service to the trainees, Also in
struction in First Aid and Life-Saving
The entertainment and recreation
events at the various Army and Navy
hospitals reached nearly $500 during
the year, and occupational therapy in
nine Naval hospitals gave construc-
tive and beneficial results and occu-
MAD fha Tina of nafiouf4 in fhe max.