Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-05
MISS RoARDMAN SHOWS
 WHAT RED CROSS DOES
Explains How Relief Funds Go to Use
 Intended by Contributors.

Mabel T. Boardman, head of the American Red Cross, has issued an
 open letter, which in part reads as follows:
 Owing to certain misstatements or
 misunderstanding regarding Red
 Cross relief matters, I desire to make
 some corrections.
 There is a report that a large
 amount of money was paid by the
 Red Cross for the chartering of the
 Red Cross ship. The ship was char
 tered for sixty days at a nominal cost At the time that the
 offer of the American Red Cross to send surgeons, nurses and supplies
 countries involved in the war, the
 danger of attack, or of capture. of
 vessels belonging to the belligerent powers led to such uncertainty in their sailing that the International and Wor
 Boards of the American Red Cross deemed it advisable. even at some
 what greater expense, to charter . ship which by special act of congress was permitted to fly the American flag
 and to receive temporary American
 registry. By this means, and under the protection of the treaty of The Hague, the Red Cross ship could pro ceed promptly and safely on her mis- sion of mercy.
 The supplies she carried were des-
 perateIy needed. The shifting for | tunes of war made the question of her ports of landing uncertain.
 When one hears of men dying from tetanus because they have been brought in with their wounds covered with straw bound with wire, there comes a realization that prompt ac- ton, even at somewhat greater cost, is essential. The life of a, man may hang upon a single bapdage being on hand when needed. In some eases
 operations were being performed with out the ten cents worth of chloroform that would have brought the blessed
 oblivion of anaesthetics.
 Tn regard to forwarding funds, the Red Cross forwards these promptly through our state department to our
 embassies, and our embassies trans
 init them to the Red Cross societies or other organizations for which they
 have been designated. 1 may also say that no permanent record of other contributions or funds or supplies,
 made through temporary committees, is kept. All funds of the American Red Cross are annually audited by | the war department. A report is then sent to the secretary of war, who l transmits it to congress, which has it printed as a public document and ] placed in the government files. The American Red Cross prefers l to pay it's personnel, thereby being absolutely independent in its selec- I LlOn dIu fldN1uS COulpIcI6 CO9lTOl O1 1 this personnel. All nurses in their
 own professional work receive $100 | 8 month. They come to the Red Cross
 at S60 a month. The nurses now in | Europe are contributing over $5.000 a, month out of their salaries It is also essential that both surgeons and
 nurses receive some funds at their poses; otherwise it would be impos- sible for them to purchase even abso- lutely necessary clothing Further more, any surgeon or any nurse is quite at liberty. at any time, to re- turn the full amount of the salary to- the Red Cross and thereby be Yolun- teers.
 Through the state department the Red Cross obtains from our ambas- sadors direct information regarding the needs of the Red Cross societies, and within the last few days we have received dispatches from Seryia, Rus sia, France, England and Austria re- garding special needs. A large amount of vaccine for typhoid inoculation has just been shipped to Austria To Ser via on November IT. will be sent Is additional surgeons and nurses, to-
 gether with hospital supplies in the way of chloro9arDl, iodine, gauge. ab- sorbent cotton bandages, surgical equipment, operating tables, etc. On November , supplies of bandages. ab- sorhent cotton, hospital garments, etc, will be sent to Germany, and a num- Der of boxes Of clothing for the Bel gian refugees TOW being cared for in Holland.
 'aThe Red Cross has had given to 1t, free Of charge, by MT. Bush, a warehouse in Broekiyal that rents for $60G a month, and many other services are donated to the association. Fur thermore. the organization of the Red Cross is permanent, and it's regular personnel is employed on this relief work without a penny of charge to the relief funds 2