The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-21
A NEW h1
 THE RED CROSS.
Six Years-Role Red Cross Plays In Times of Peace-HOw $5,- OOO,OOO Has Been
 Expended.

OOO,OOO Has Been Expended.
 (Ernest P. Bicknell, National Direc- tor, American Red Cross.l Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau.)
 A charter granted by Congress and approved by the President January D. 1905, began new epoch for the American Red Cross. This assigned broad powers to the Red Cross and gave it an official status. William H. Taft, then Secretary of War, accept ed its presidency, position which he organization according to it's charter are as follows:
 gro furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war" "a* "and to carry on a system of national and international same in mitigating the sufferings 1 caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national cala- mites, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same" The Red Cross is governed by a Central Committee of eighteen, of whom six are appointed by the Presi- dent of the United States and twelve elected. This Committee appoints . National Director. Under the Central
 
 are financial representatives in the collection and disbursement of relief funds in their respective states, and Chapters, which are local groups of m emb CTS
 Field work is divided into three classes and, is assigned to three boards, the War Relief Board, the National Relief Board and the Inter national Relief Board.
 The War Relief Board at present t9 y~%vr <~f Gv-Gf r,r,1 a department of nursing. Miners, railroad men, sailors, workmen in great industrial establishments, police and f1remen are taught the practical application of first aid to the injured A car especially equipped carries lec- cal physicians continue the instruc- tion after the car passes on. Several thousand men are now receiving in- structfon in first aid in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio. Illinois, Okla homa, Iowa, Tennessee and other states. The Red Cross also super vises the first aid instruction given by those in charge of the seven mine rescue cars of the United States Bu- reau of Mines. In time of war the cated would bring into the volunteer armies many men we'll prepared for service in hospitals and in the care of wounded on the battle fields. Under the department of nursing graduate nurses are also enrolled for service in time of war or disaster. All Red Cross work is under the control of the National Relief Board The National Director represents this board and the Central Committee, at the scene of disaster and organizes and directs the rescue work. Relief funds are in the custody of the Board of the State in which the disaster has occurred and are paid out on requisi- tion of the National Director, or the proper officers of the local committee as approved by the National Director. The Red Cross has enlisted the CO., operation of certain of the strongest charity organization societies. These pledge themselves on request to send members of their regular trained forces to the scene of disaster 10 serve as a fixed nucleus for the staff of volunteers from the community. These experienced agents are also en- abled to assist in the difficult work of rehabilitation, after the volunteers have returned to their homes and usual employments. At present the lanta, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati. Cleveland, Hartford. Min neapolis, New Haven, New York City, Pittsburg, St. Louis, St. Paul, San ate in this way. In the last two years these societies have participated eff fectively in Red Cross relief work fol- lowing disasters in Key West, Florida; Cherry Illinois; Birmingham, Ala bama; Drakesboro, Kentucky, and the forest fire region of Minnesota.
 Contributions made to sufferers in foreign countries are under the direc- ,tion of the International Relief Board. Usually the American Red Cross is represented by the diplomatic: or con : sular agents of the United States nearest the point of relief operations.
 Since 1905l the variety and extent of the relief work may be partly shown by the following table:
 Philippine typhoon,1905 5 1,150.00 Japanese famine, 1906.. 265,S55.67 Vesuvian eruption, 1906 12,759.25 California earthquake
 and fire, 19O6..... 2.S56,2S9.54 Valparaiso earthquake,
 1906 12,353.3S Chinese famine, 1909. 327,725.43 Gulf storm ,1907 .... 667.87 Kingston earthquake,
 Russian famine, 1907.. 9,000.00 Calabrian earthquake.
 Monongah mine disaster. ~ 1907 ............... 3,7s2.11 Mississippi cycline, 1908 2.767.3S South China Flood, 1908 100000 South Carolina and
 Georgia floods, 1soS.. s42.o5 MIcnlSdu IOT0SC ureS,
 1905 ............. soo.oo Canadian forest fires,
 1908 ..... 100000 Italian earthquake, 1908 99O,7SO.00 Armenian outrages, 1909 3e,000 % Cherry mine disaster,
 1909 ............... 101, 100000 Mexican flood, 19O9... 8,7O760 Darr mine disaster, 1909 402.32 Key West hurricane, 1909 1,14O3O Portuguese earthquake,
 1909 ........... 1,3oooo Bluefields, Nicaragua,
 1909 ............ 5,62s.Oo, Paris floods, 1910. 45,629.00 Servian flood sufferers,
 1910 .............. 500.00 Costa Rican earthquake,
 1910 ............... 100000 Mulga-Palos, Ala, mine
 disasters, 1910 .... 13,O0O.00 Northwest forest fires,
 1910 .............. 100000 Minnesota forest fires,
 1910 ............... ss,ooo.oo Tokyo, Japan, floods,
 1910 ............... 5,O0o.oO Chinese famine 1911. 10000 %