Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-03

the FilipiHos are to begin a hazard
Gus experiment in self-government
next October. Several other import
ant matters under his jurisdiction
have been disposed of in a manner
equally satisfactory, and now Secre-
tary Taft has taken up the Red Cross,
of which he is president, and is anx-
ious to interest the people of the coun-
try in that great international move
ment for first aid to the injured"
because the United States is very far
nG ons.
Japan has ,035,000 members ON
its Red Cross roll" said the secretary
the other day, land has probably the
best organization except Germany,
where the women's branch alone has
$4,000 members. They have $4,000,
600 of an emergency fund in their
treasury,> while here in the United
with our 10000, 900 of popula-
tion. we have less than 100000 mem
bers and no money at all for great
emergencies. | want every generous
hearted mar, woman and child in the
United States to join the Red Cross"
said the secretary. "All they have to
do to become members is TO send
their names to Charles l.. Magee, sec
retary, war department, Washington,
d. C., or to the secretary of the Or
ganization in their state and pay 81
for annual dues. And 1t ought to be
considered privilege to join.
The Red Cross is Just as important
in peace as in war, and even more
so, because in war the army has a
trained corps of surgeons and nurses
for any emergency. and that is exact
ly what we want to organize the Red
Cross for In peace-to be always ready
to furnish relief for any calamity or
suffering in any part of the country
on a moments notice. There is no
limit to the generosity of our people.
They respond promptly and literally
TO every appeal that is made to them,
but we have no organization of ex-
perience and training to handle the
funds and apply the relief. 1t has to
| be done by persons without training
according to crude methods which are
| suggested under great urgency. Our
| people do the best they know how,
but the result is waste, extravaganza,
irregularity in distribution and misap-
| plication of funds in an unbusiness-
| like manner.
| II am not criticising or complain
| ing of what has been done. | am
| proud of the record of the Red Cross
in the United States, for 1t has worked
miracles, but it has been compelled
to work with poor tools and has had
to depend npon native Intelligence and
| instinct instead of experience and
training. For example. we were at
work in San Francisco before the fire
started. The earthquake occurred at
| daylight. The Red Cross was on the
| ground before 9 O'Clock, distributed
| S2,3oO,000 in relief, and will prob.
ably spend half a million dollars of
money contributed, by the people OF
the country at large. There was no
scandal, no misappropriation of funds,
no troubles or controversies; but |
have no doubt the money might have
gore great deal farther and con.
tributed a great deal more to the re.
| lief and comfort of that homeless peo.
| pie If our men had been trained in
the business. But they did the best
they could and we are proud of them.
| In March there were disastrous
Hoods in Ohio and West Virginia,
which made Il large number of peo-
pie homeless, and they mad to have
| prompt relief. Somebody had to act
instantly. No other agency could do
1t or had the funds to do it, and
we could not wait to call upon a gen
erous public for the money. Forum
ately we had few thousand dollars
in the bank, but it was simply a
streak of luck which might not occur
again. We should have an ample
:und always available for whatever
may occur in any part of the country.
and we ought to have an organization
| III every state, county, city and town
/ OF men and women who are trained to
do the proper thing at the right mo-
ment and can go instantly like fire
men to the relief of suffering human
ity the instant they hear the call We
can get all the money we want If we
| nave time to appeal to the public.
We have no difficulty on that score.
although it is essential to the useful
ness of the organization that 1t should
rave a fund to draw upon without
restriction whenever it is needed with
cut waiting for public sympathy to
express itself. We cannot use contri-
buttons for San Francisco for the re-
lief of people in West Virginia. All
the special funds are tied up. We
must have general fund. We have
to depend upon membership fees for
current expenses and, | tell you. we
had only 9,262 names on the rolls last
January, from whom we could expect
dollar year each in fees. when
we ought to have had 9,262 900.
But men are more important than
money and we want our members dis.
tributed over the whole country SO
that they can be called upon by tele-
graph to act in any emergency in their