The evening times., 1899-05-27
RED CROSS WORK
IN THE COLONIES
Miss Barton Sends Gratifying
Reports From Cuba.
Caring for the American Troops in
the Philippines.
Prospect That the California SOei
ETY. Will Call ON the National
Body for Assistance.

In letter received at the Red Cross So
ciety headquarters in this city Miss Clara
Barton, who is now in Cuba on a tour Of
inspection of the work of the Organizations
agents in the island, expresses entire salts
faction with the maner in which the work
has been done. When Miss Barton left
Washington for Cuba 1t was her intention
to remain away for period Of two weeks.
but, owing to a desire to thoroughly ac-
quaint herself with al, the details of the
Red Cross operations there, she found 1t
necessary to stay longer than she at first
contemplated. II is now probable that
Miss Barton and Mr.. Cobb the secretary Of
the National Red Cross Society. will re-
turn some time during the early part OF
June.
In the meantime, during the absence of
the president, the home work OF the socie-
ty has gone on uninterruptedly. Several
consignments Of supplies are being sent
to Cuba every week. The establishment of
auxiliary societies all over the country is
progressing very favorably and the inter-
est in the work of the organization is
widespread and substantial. The response
to the call sent out several months ago is
particularly spontaneous in the Western
States where the field has not been as
thoroughly covered as in the East. The
auxiliary society of Philadelphia yesterday
notified fhe headquarters here that ar
rangements have been made for contribut-
ing $500 per month for the next three
months, besides shipping several large
consignments of cots, clothing and food
during that time.
One of the projects in connection with
the relief operations in Cuba which has
been adopted by Miss Barton is that of es-
tablishing light manufacturing plants in
which many of the orphans under Red
Cross care are employed a part of the
time has proven very successful. BY work
ing in these plants, the children gain ex-
perience which will be useful to them as
they grow older, and aside from this the
sale of the manufactured articles goes a
long way toward making many OF the Red
Cross asylums self-supporting.
The work of relieving and caring for the
troops of the American forces in the Phil
ippines is under the direct supervision of
the Red Cross of California. TIE National
Society, however, has one representative
in the field, he having reached Manila
within the past few weeks. AS the cam
paign against the Filipinos continues, the
need for relief operations among the SOL
diers grows and it is likely that the Red
Cross OF California will be compelled to
call upon the National Society for aid The
large number of soldiers who have been
wounded must necessarily tax the capacity
of the military hospitals and a continual
ton of hostilities. ii is anticipated. will
make il difficult for the military authori-
ties TO properly care for all needing at
tention with the facilities which they have
now on hand. Aside from the wounded
soldiers, the sickness resulting from rigors
Of the climate has incapitated many and
the advent Of the rainy season promises TO
cause additional cases of invalidism.
The field for Red Cross work in the
Philippines lies principally in the army
and there is comparatively little among the
natives TO be done. The war has not been
in progress long enough to devastate the
islands and there has been no reconcen-
trado policy which would cut off the means
of support from the natives. II is thought
that when the conflict is once over the ne
cessity of relief work will not be urgent.