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Show RED CROSS DOTY TO filDVETERANS Spends Nearly Four Millions in Year to Lessen Burdens of Disabled Soldiers. SERVES 63,700 IN HOSPITALS Every Case Is Given Individual Service Assists Families of These Men Everywhere. Washington. The need of individual individ-ual assistance by ex-service men and their families from the Red Cross is as pressing today as it was immediately imme-diately after the end of the World War. For six years this work ha's been foremost of all Red Cross services, ser-vices, and in emphasizing the steady public support of this work the Red Cross National Headquarters urges the largest enrollment this year during dur-ing the membership campaign opening open-ing on Armistice Day, November 11. Nearly four million dollars of Red Cross funds spent for disabled veterans 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 for still further disbursements of funds for the reason that the Red Cross, through more than 3,500 Chapters Chap-ters 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. 58,767 Soldier Cases a Month The Red Cross work for the disabled dis-abled soldier is designated "home service," ser-vice," for it gives individual attention to the man and his family approximating approxi-mating the interest and loving' care of the home. Such service in the hospitals, hos-pitals, camps, soldiers' homes and sanatoria, averaged 33,951 cases a month during the year. Assistance to ex-service men and their dependents depen-dents averaged 58,767 cases a month. In addition, the Red Cross in the last twelve months provided 33,000 recreation recre-ation 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 lighten the tedium te-dium of their physical reconstruction, and in their homes lifts some of the burdens from their "own people." Work in Communities increases The home service of the Red Cross was the most pressing duty of 2,609 Chapters, an increase of 182 communities communi-ties where problems "affected by the war veteran's condition required solution so-lution through immediate and intelligent intelli-gent assistance. The Chapters alone expended some 2,000,000 In this work. The transient disabled soldier, usually usu-ally suffering from disability or tuberculosis, tuber-culosis, is almost everywhere a grave problem. From national funds the past year $173,076.36 was expended in helping the Chapters to care for these wandering men. According to government report there are 4,800 veterans In civilian institutions, in-stitutions, and In the national homes for soldiers the complications are increasing. in-creasing. The large groups of patients pa-tients whose claims have been disallowed, disal-lowed, of veterans of foreign wars, and the great number of men permanently perma-nently resident in these institutions call for Red Cross work which cannot can-not be avoided nor denied. Definite Service to 73,700 Of a total of 84,500 ex-service men in hospitals and other institutions 73,-700 73,-700 were rendered a definite and specialized spe-cialized service by the Red Cross. In a single month 4,185 new cases were presented and a total of 20,125 was acted upon figures which serve to illustrate the magnitude of the information in-formation and claims service engaging engag-ing the attention of Red Cross workers. work-ers. New veteran legislation amending amend-ing fh War Risk act whirh extends many additional rights to disabled ex-service ex-service men will reopen thousands of cases and require still greater Red Cross service. When CongTess granted a charter to the American Red Cross it charged the organization with the duly to act as "the medium of communication between 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 activity activ-ity during the last year embraced a total of 195,246 cases. There were 36.995 separate soldiers' and sailors' claims; 20,316 investigations of home conditions; 11,421 cases related to discharges, dis-charges, furloughs, etc. Assistance i was given in 39.638 Instances for per-I per-I sonal. business or family problems; 744,220 visits were made to the sick i or disabled, and nearly 40.000 letters j and telegrams dispatched to the i homes of enlisted men. I From June to September at the nu- merous military training camps the Red Cross provided information and home service to the trainees, aiso Instruction In-struction in First Aid and Life Saving. The entertainment and recreation : events at. the vs; ious Army and Navy hospitals reached nearly 9.500 during the year, and ocoupational therapy in nine Naval hospitals gave constructive construc-tive and benctiei.il results aud occupied occu-pied the time of patients in the making mak-ing of useful and ornamental things. i |