Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-11-28
AMERICAS
GREAT WORK
The American Red Cross Ship
and War Relief
Work.

and steriIizing outfits ard hospits
sup plies. Thist fer was gratefully
accepted. At that time the sailing
of ell the oc, an steamers was so an
certain that at the supg 'stion Of thu
Honorsb Robert Lansing. Counse
lor of the S ate DEPARTMENT anc
<shsirman Of our Red CIR IS Interna'
tionaI Relief B ,ard. the War Depart
ment was asked for the loan of any
army trsn5port to carry the pei son.
mel and supplies.
The pressure on the Government
TO provide transportation for Amer
fcsn refugees was 90 great that the
Department was itself negotiating
for ships and rsserving the trans
parts fer such use. so that this re-
quest could not be granted. Con-
gress. therefore. passed special act
permitting the Red Cross to charter
a ship. fly the Rid Cross and Ameri-
can Gags, and to receive tenn
porary American registry. By this
means, and under the protection of
the Treaty of The Hague, the Red
Cross ship could proceed promptly
and sesey on her mis- sion.
Through the press the American
Red Cross appealed for suitable
vessel. Oily two we're offered, one
by the H. mburg- American Line, the
other by the Austrian. American Line
The former was accepted, and char
tered for sixty DAYS at the cost Of
Oae Dollar. The war insurance on
ship aud cargo cost $40 600. The
vesstt was officered by retired
American naval officers, ard carried
I5e surgeons ard nurses, surgical
equipments end very large quaint.
ties of hospital supplies for their own
se and for the use of the American
Ambu ance Ass citation in Par S.
dTre Servian unit of Is went by
Greek Steamer)
As they we're about to sail unex-
pc ed objection was made on the
part Of the Brit sh end French Gov
eernmer Is to the person n of the
crew. A change of crews became
necessary. involving delay and ex-
pense.
To send III Red Cross surgeons
and nurses abroad; to buy for them
proper equipment, with uniforms
and other necessities; to pay their
travelling expenses by land and sea,
both in the Uni ed States a1d Eu-
rope; Co pay their slarles for six
months. and br nV them home to the
United Stste0, vii c1st about 81 200
per capita including the cost of the
Red Cross ship AID titional surgeons
and nurses ale alo being equipped
20 send.
There is no doubt that had the
Red Cross waited two weeks it could
Aave sent its surgeons ard nurses
and it's hospital supplies to Europe
by regular steamers. Every one
must. however, recall the confusion,
uncertainty and danger which pre-
@aiied at the outbreak of the war.
Mo cue knew or c uld predict when
regu ar transalsn'ic service would
he resumed, The United States
Government itself. wishing to send
gary Of fifty men with the ten-mi!-
lion-dO,lar gold fund t. Europe to
Naelp American citizens. sent two
.Uarships instead of waiting for mer-
chant steamers.
VQp1s this date the American Red
Cross has purchased 232 800 pounds
If absorbent cottcn. 81 800 pounds
of nousbsorl eDt c. ttnn, 485, 40Oyards
Of absorbent gsuz'. 10000 yards of
starched gsuz-. DC 800 pounds Of
bandsge. 20 surgical equirm ents OF
II. A. Amy standards. lhclud ng
meteorological AMI sierl zing out
fits. $500 pounds f chi reform a d
ether, 10 cases of drug End chemi
Gals. Rgallon tinctuTe il dine, 5000
typhoid vaccine treatments. and
many cases of surgical SUI plies, such
90 Iigature. rubber Rlav's. clinical
thermometers. hypodermic yrinRes
extra irstrumeI t. adh' sive st r.
ice caps. alcohol. d'-nfectsnls. vase
line. etc.. most Of viii h has already
been shipped to Europe Scores OF
boxes containing sIretchers. thous