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Show ! . r.. .. . Included in their work was assist-! assist-! ance to ex-service men in making out ! adjusted compensation papers, in the handling of claims reopened, or made j possible under liberalized terms of the World War Veterans' Act of 192-1, and In many other ways. I An unusual amount of legislation I passed by Congress and State bodies ; has necessitated the issue of much new material in the past year. Legislation Leg-islation was passed during th" year liberalizing conditions applying to hospitalization, compensation and other benefits under the Veterans' Bureau; this in turn has entailed reopening re-opening of many claims formerly dis- RED GROSS AID TO VETSJOUNTINQ. Heavier Demands for War Service Ser-vice Laid to New Legislation Granting Wide Benefits. ACTIVE FORCES AIDED ALSO Duty to Ex-Service and Service Men First Responsibility of the-Red Cross. A marked increase in the service given by the American Red Cross to i ex-service men, through Chapters, hos- pitals, Government and Red Cross ' offices during the past year, and which volume is expected to be maintained during most of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926, is shown in the reports re-ports of the war service activities of the organization, just completed. Service to the disabled and to men now in active service continued to be one of the primary obligations of the Red Cross. The increased activities ac-tivities in this regard were attributed largely to the legislation giving new benefits to ex-service men. The keystone of the Red Cross service ser-vice lies in the Home Service work of the chapters to veterans and men still In service. At the close of the fiscal year June 30, 1925, 2,591 Chapters Chap-ters were active in this work and had expended anproximately $2,237,000. anowea, filing of many new ones, and many applications for hospitalization. ' The Claims Service at National Head-I Head-I quarters this year handled 17,506 in ! comparison with 12,010 cases the previous pre-vious year. Increased service to men in hospitals hospi-tals was noted, as well In the number of hospitals in which service was maintained by the organization. Due to new legislation an increase of over 6,000 patients were admitted for hospitalization, hos-pitalization, a new peak approximating that of March 1922. Since a large number of this group includes patients pa-tients not eligible for compensation, the solution of their personal and family fam-ily problems has involved careful study by the National Organization. There are 30,000 disabled ex-service men In Government hospitals every day of the year, and their need has directly led to a revival of the best-known best-known and perhaps most popular ac-ivity ac-ivity the Red Cross sponsored in war -a new campaign for knitted "Red Cross sweaters." These articles are imong the few not furnished by the Government. For the men still on active duty In the Army, Navy and Marines, the Red Cross during the year maintained Field Directors at all important stations, sta-tions, camps, and hospitals of these armed forces of the country. A monthly average of 96,931 service and ex-service men were aided by the Red Cross during the year. The man in service, and the man who has served his country are among the primary responsibilities for which the American Red Cross is chartered by Congress. Nevertheless it has many other obligations and it is on this basis that an appeal will be made tor a larger enrollment than ever during dur-ing the Annual Roll Call, Armistice Day. November 11, to November 26. |