Evening star., 1915-11-21
MISS BOARDMAN TELLS HOW
RELIEF WAS SENT TO EUROPE
Addresses the American Acad-
emy of Social and Political
Science.
Says All Nations Bless United
States for Hell in Time
of Need.

PHILADELPHIA, November 2O.-The
topic of this evenings session of the
American Academy OF Social and Po-
HticaI Science, which is holding its an
nual meeting here, was International
Relief in Time of War The main
speakers of the evening were Miss Ma
bel T. Boardman, chairman, national
relief board, American Red Cross; Miss
Jane A. Delano, chairman, national
committee Red Cross nursing service.
and Ernest p Bicknell, national .di-
rector, American Red Cross.
DIR. L. S. Rowe. president of the
academy, in Introducing Miss Board
man, said:
Amid the encouragement, de-
struction and desolation OF the great
European conflict there stands forth
one trait which enters as gleam OF
light into the prevailing darkness. L
refer to the universal response OF the
neutral nations to relieve the misery
and suffering which this war entails:
In this great work the Red Cross, OF
all countries has assumed the leader
ship, and this session is, in a sense,
tribute to the great results that nave
been accomplished by this and other
agencies.
"I have much pleasure in presenting
to you Miss Mabel T. Boardnan, chair
man. national relief board, American
Red Cross.
Work of the Red Cross.
Miss Boardman said, in part:
That each of the nations involved in
this awful struggle in Europe seeks
earnestly to justify it's participation
in so hideous thing as this conflict
is; that acts which are peculiar to all
wars and which will be as long as ma
tions settle their differences by ar
bitrament of arms are recognized and
announced as atrocities, and that the
Red Cross has never better fulfilled It's
great humanitarian mission than at
present are comforting signs IN these
dark days when civilization seems to
have lapsed again into barbarism.
The part that it has been our priv
ilege to play in this world-tragedy is
one to call forth our gratitude rather
than our pride. The negative neu-
trality that must be exercised by the
United States government makes no
friends, however just 1t is; but the
positive neutrality of the American
Red Cross in the help sent all blesses
both those who give and those who
receive. The broad vision which can
embrace all pitiful suffering humanity
lifts those who participate in such aid
onto a higher plane and above the
hatred and passion that wars are SO
apt to create even among the nations
not involved. Among those that re-
ceive in their time of trouble this SYM
pathetic Red Cross aid for their sick
and wounded feeling of friendship
toward our own country Is engendered.
How Funds Were Handled.
Into war-desolated Europe our Amer
lean Red Cross has sent many thou
sands of dollars for the aid of the sick
and wounded in the hospitals and for
the refugee women and children.
Wherever funds were designated for a
special country they were sent to that
special country. unless the donor de-
sired that they be used for the pur-
chase of supplies for that country, in
which case this has been done. Millions
OF surgical dressings, banaagss, pounds
OF absorbent cotton and other --rti-les
have been sent to all the European
countries. Hospital garments and
linen articles by hundreds of thousands
have also gone. Besides this great as
sfstance. between three and four hum
dred surgeons. nurses and sanitary ex-
perts have been sent by the Red Cross
to all of the countries--llies and CEN
trail powers alike--witn the exception
OF Italy. which SO far has desired
no personnel. Everywhere this gem
seeds of friendship for our own coun-
try as well as mitigating the suffering
of hundreds of thousands of unfor-
tun tie persons.
This great European war has nat
urally aroused question in America as
TO our own preparedness. not for war,
but for defense. The Red Cross service
for the sick and wounded is a neutral
service and, therefore the objection
that may be made against military pre-
paredness could not be made against
an organization that devoted itself not
to destruction of life but to the con-
serVation of life. To make such work
enective II must be realized that only