Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-16
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
Veterans in nearby Maryland are
getting "one-stop' service at the
Service Aid Council in Silver Spring,
while the vast majority of all vet
Grams who visit the District Veterans
Information Center still have to be
sent to one or more of a dozen
agencies for their answers.
At the Service Aid Council, which
assists veterans of Kensington, Silver
Spring, Takoma Park and any other
former serviceman who drops in,
volunteers can't remember when
they referred their last customer"
to another agency.
The volunteers-all men and each
an expert in his field-fill out claims
for pensions, work out educational
programs, discuss the ACCESSIBILITY of
loans, send men to jobs. help them
apply for disqualification, confer
with employers for their re-employ-
ment rights, help them convert their
insurance and assist in any other
veterans requirements.
Refereed to Several Agencies.
In the District, a man who visits
the center with one or more of
these problems would be sent to one
or more other agencies. The Dis
trict has announced that ultimately
there will be desk space for rep
reSentatives of other agencies at
the center but so far, only the Red
Cross has said it would send a rep
resentative. None of the forms
needed for claims, Civil Service jobs,
insurance conversion or education
under the CT Bill are available at
the District center.
A visit to the Service Aid Council.
located at JeSsup Park, Md, brought
out these other differences:
The council has only one paid en-
ploye-a serviceman's wife who
answers simple questions, keeps the
files and makes appointments for
veterans with intervieWers. The
District center has five paid per-
sonnet.
Groups are Trained.
In addition to being experts in
their particular fields-bankers to
discuss loans, high school principals
on education, American Legion re-
Mobilization officers on claims-each
group of volunteers at the Mary
land council sat through two train
ing sessions with Veterans Admin
istration representatives. The wom-
en- at the District center have had
no such training.
The council has three interview
rooms to insure complete privacy
for the veterans airing their prob
lens. In the District center, at
present, whatever is said at the
four interviewing desks can be
heard anywhere in the room. Plans
at the District center call for
some curtained cubicles within sew
eral weeks.
The council maintains separate
files OF the $500 residents from the
three Maryland communities now in
the service, including the 1900 reg
lstered with Montgomery County
Draft Board No. q; a copy of the
separation report of the 500 already
discharged and a detailed report
OF the action taken by the council
in the cases of the $50 or more vet
Grams who have used its service. The
District center has a duplicate file
OF referral cards given to veterans
County Cooperation Won.
Every serviceman who reports to
Montgomery Draft Board No. 2 after
discharge is given a letter telling
him about the council, its services
and hours and the fact that dis
charges may be photostated there.
II he doesn't respond to this invita-
ton, a follow-up letter is sent out
by the council. Suggestions that
the District send out similar letters
to its returning servicemen have
been vetoed. it was understood, on
the ground it would create too much
business for the District center.
The council appears to have won
the cooperation of all elements
IN the three communities it covers
The county paid for the one-story
building and bought most of the
equipment at an overall cost of
$4,000, but from there on it has
been supported by the community,
council officials estimate that
running expenses are $3.50 a month
Including the one salary, printed
material, postage and telephone,
Contributions come from a score
OF business, civic, veterans, women's.
maternal and social ORGANIZATIONS
The afraid wardens turned over
their treasury of 500. The Ameri-
can Legion posts in the community
just concluded two-week carnival
to raise funds. The Washington
Sanitarium gave furniture.
Other Evidences of Assistance.
There were these other evidences
OF community cooperation:
When a veteran came in during
the day and was told he should re-
turn in the evening when an edu-
cation expert would be on hand
to talk with him, he said he didn't
think he could borrow his fathers
car again.
It was arranged for a county
police car to pick him up at his
home some miles away. deliver him
at the center and take him home
again. A council spokesman ex-
planned that the County Commits
sioners had instructed the police to
give this service.
When 1t was necessary for letters
asking for college catalogues and