Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1918 — FATHER AT WAR, TRAGEDY AT HOME [ARTICLE]

FATHER AT WAR, TRAGEDY AT HOME

Jost What Home Service Means to a Soldier. The father kisses his wife and kiddles goodby. shoulders his gun and marches away to war. For a time the current of life flows smoothly for the soldier’s tittle family. Then comes the tragedy. Mother Is taken 111. The little brood of broths ers and sisters is helpless. No father to turn to. A helpless mother I To whom can the American soldier’s family look at this critical period! Must a brave main's loyalty to his country mean desolation and suffering to those nearest and dearest to him! No I Emphatically no! The American people win not permit the famiIles of their soldiers and sailors to suffer because their breadwinners are fighting for their country. And so the Red Cross Department of Civilian Relief has created a nation-wide organization for home service for the families of soldiers and sailors. Under the banner of “Home Service” patriotic' men and women have enrolled and are 1 devoting themselves to the noble task of helping soldiers’ families to meet and adjust the problems of everyday life and aiding them to maintain the standards of health, education and Industry. Home Service—True Service. Home servlee meaas keeping the soldier's children well and tn school. It means tiding the family over financial troubles, arranging the household budget, meeting Insurance premiums, adjusting a mortgage, bringing med- > leal aid and legal advice to bear at the right moment. In short “Home Service” Is true service, in that It provides the warm handclasp of friendship rather than the humiliation of charity. It calls for sympathetic understanding and Intelligent consideration of the most vital needs of the soldier’s family. The Red Cross is pledged to “Home Service" wherever needed In the United States. In snch chapter effthe Red Cross there will be a home service section, under eompetent hands, whose mission wIB bo to protect the welfare of the soldiers’ and sailors’ homes and to safeguard the normal development of their famines to-employment and In ideals of self help and self reliance.

“The work that the Red Cress is doing hi Bronco this winter is worth more than a million and a haff American soldiers In the lines in France today.* —General Petain.