Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-22

iItN WANT lndl news OellNefeQ
in a hurry.
I have a letter from Mrs.
Betty Campbell, who can't say
enough nice things about the
way the Red Cross delivered
word Of the arrival of her
daughter, Kathleen.
II. Campbell Il In Africa.
She kept him informed of events
by N-mall and even cables, hut
thought she WAS lucky II a let
ter arrived in from three 10 six
weeks. I've spent $40 on cables
that have NEVER been re-
ceived," she writes.
So when Kathleen was born.
she asked the Red Cross what
they could do about II.
The Rcd Cross turned il over
10 its home service department.
Ill North Africa was trembling
Under the death throeS of Won
-AFRin army, trit-tirc Red
Cross found 1t: Campbell, de-
lNercd the message. and brought
back a reply. Message re-
ceIved, much love 10 YOU both, "
within IN days.
Writes Mrs. Campbell. When
.thHEhaPPehs darn Il, you iuSt
want 10 be sure thar everyone
else knows Of the swell and diff
flcult job the Red Cross is
DOING
And so vel tell how the Red
Cross does ~ and what you can
expect, II YOU need help
or important messages which
the Red Cross handles for in
dividuals, these three 90 bv
cable or radio. SAYS William !.
Norton, chairman Of the Detroit
unit:
Births.
2 Deaths in the immediate
family.
3-In extreme cases, serious
illness OF an immediate relative.
Those messages GO through
just as fast as they can he
moved.
But" said Gwen German.
who handled the Campbclrs
message. and il assistant direc-
tor NJ home service. please eN-
plain how hard N II 90 do"
Mrs. Campbell. a. matter of
fact. was lucky. Even these
pressing messages sometimes
are delaycd-hut they're still
the fastest thing YOU can get
They 60 by telegraph 10
Washington. The war depart
! mont puts the message IN code.
Then. as fast as there is open
time on cable or radio. in be-
Aween messages of military
eceSsity u goes across.
- In Africa tho army decides
u. Next II reaches Red Cross
field man, and finally. he hands
~ 10 some impatient young
father who is wondering and
waiting In a slit trench, or even
a tank or alrplane.
or in Alaska such mes
sage arrived for a man who
was out flying 4 plane Another
plane on It's way out, SCraWlcd
The message on a hig piece Of
paper. flow along side him, and
let him read the news that way.
The Rcd Cross would like 10
give priority 10 other messages,
TOO. but il Just plain can't a
year ago % kilograms a day
were being sent from the De
troit headquarters. Now its 100
a day, seven days week, and
still rising Leon Grldley. home
service director, estimates that
$50 more home service workers
will be needed in the country
by July
They cant, a. said, giiaran-
tee that YOU will get reply In
10 DAYS or two weeks. A bottle
neck may develop somewhere.
\ soldier may he moved from
one place 10 another. But they
do II as fast a. Is humanity
possible.
The Red Cross checks casualty
and missing lists, and N a hoy
isn't listed there, n field man
gets on his trail.
Miss German said, by the
way. that she herself hadn't en-
countercd a single one OF these
cases in which anything had
happened IN the boy He Just
hadn't written. or his letters
- had been lost. But. she added.
when people haven't heard for
months, there's not much COM
fort in trying TO tell them No
news is good news even though
that's generally true.
Obviously all this is stag
geringly biz job but the Rcd
Cross doesn't mind All they
ask is that people Try not 10
ask for anything that isn't inn
portantly necessary, and that
they understand that there may
be delays sometimes no matter
how hard they work.