The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-28
DEMANDS ON RED
CROSS INCREASE
Annual Roll Call Scheduled To
Be Conducted In Whining
ton On Nov. 1890

1llC1 CdSl1S oC1l1QA1Ao I'LL u4O SC4 v.
ice rendered by the American
Red Cross are being reflected in
the, call for active assistance on
the local chapter, Mrs. Ida Spell
den, secretary, said yesterday.
To take into account the work to
be done requires financial sup
port and the date from November
u through November 80 has been
set aside for the annual Roll Call
in Wilmington.
j. Henry Gerdes is G e n e r a !
chairman of the Roll Call com
mittee and the organization is be-
ing perfected for the work to be
accomplished d ur n G the cam
paign.
The Home Service department,
under the direction of Mrs. Carl
Powers, reviews some of the i'm
mediate calls for service in the
following statement:
Not since the World War days
has Red Cross Home Service had
such a challenging opportunity and
responsibility as is now presented
in connection with national de-
tense. The National Guard and
other reserves of the Army, as
well as of the Navy and Marine
Corps, are being rapidly called in
to Federal service. Within the next
three months several h un d r e d
thousands of men between tn e
ages of 81 and So will be indicted
through the operation of the Selec-
tive Training and Service Act. BY
June 80, 1941, the total A y
strength will be approximately L.
400, 900. The Navy and M a r i n e
Corps, are being prorortionately
enlarged.
National defense is vitality con-
cerned with. the morale of the fight
ing forces. The morale of the serv-
ice man is inseparably linked with
that of his family back home. Ev-
ery effort is being made by mill
tary authorities to defer the serv-
ice of those men who have DEEPEN
dents But 10 matter how careful
the selection of a large Army and
Navy, it is certain to bring to
many families social and econom-
ic distress. Men of service age,
whether married or single, are
usually contributing to the income
and domestic life of the household.
In many homes the absence OF a
o or brother involves a personal
if not a financial, sacrifice on the
part of the family, second only to
that felt when the husband leaves.
The uncertainties and misfortunes
of every day life sickness, death
domestic troubles - and the PROB
lem of making up the deficit in
family life caused by the absence
of the soldier become far too alt-
fcult to solve simply by an auot-
ment of the mans pay.
Here is where the Red Cross
enters the picture. Not every fam
lily, by any means, will require
material help. In view Of the de-
ferment for dependency, it is to
be presumed that for the present
the problem of financial relief will
not be great. Rather, there will be
a growing need for information
and case work services to carry
out the Red Cross Charter pro-
vision:
'"To act in matters of voluntary
relief and in accord with che mil
|, itary and naval authorities as a
medium of communication be-
tween the people of the Uniteo
States of America and their Army
and Navy. ...'
"a live Home Service Committee
and an adequate budget will be
essential. Provision must be made
for emergency relief for such fam
lies as may require this. There
will be additional costs in connec'
ton with transportation for visit
ing families, telegraph and tele'
phone, postage, and rent for ade-
quate office space to receive ap,
plicants and conduct private inter
views. The larger Chapters may
require additional Home Service
personnel. Many small Chapters