The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-16


Mexican people could hest be helped
In the rvcent crisis in that country.
the Red Cross Society decided 70 open
..soup kitcaeas' N tie various CITY
wards. and he experiment proved
very valuab indeed The plan' called
for the daily distribution Of nour!sh-
ing meat and vegetable soups 70 FAINT
lies presenting the ncceSs AIRY Nrkei
fsue -p-.ae requested p -D&ru he
cf earr" writes q Methodist mission
arv. s.for the worth poor among tho
asa families IN our three roaS~"ra-
items. and we thought we had done
eur part when VI sent in their names.
But people began 70 come 70 US FIR
such great numbers asking 10 be en-
rolled among the needy that I'VE
promptly telcphoned the Red cross
Tor permission to enroll all who APP
1ited. one day we enrolled S50 fami-
lies Next murnUg we began about
g o'clock, and by nCen had cared Tor
xver a thousand cases.
Then applications became SO
numerous that we were obliged TO
suspend surther enrolment Til all
cases could be examined in their own
homes. We discovered a host OF will
ting workers in cur nhurch circle
Ehcse were sent out a' over the city
into the thickIy-po ed tenement
eection. into the outs 'iH. where PEG
rfe live In huts--eNeE. here, IN fact
When the workers came back they
reported 70 US that practically AL
statements Of dire need were ahso-
1uteIy true.
.sDurinE the rest of that week oar
city missionary and her helpers spent
their time making duplicate cards and
recalling the originals. in order to
eend the soup tickets issued by the
Red Cross Society.
Lists Reported.
$50 many continued TO apply 10 US
FOR help that we decided 10 reopen
the rists and next morning people be-
gan to come as early as 2 O'Clock.
"a as 70 get in line BY o'clock
there was such a large crowd that tn
order TO handle them without con-
fusion we arranged them In double
lire. by giving numbers to each per-
scn in front OF the door We were able
to keep the crowd moving in an or,
derly way. and no one who came late
could get into tho front ranks
ssBy 40 O'Clock also people-most-
fy wogncn~-had passed through our
J front door. gone into the church
where thirty workers were ready 70
enroll them. and mad gone out again
AT that hour firing was heard or
the streets nearby, and some bullets
caro- down nur way Then the peo-
pie In line rushed down another street
and became confused. AS II seemed
unwfse To continue the registration
while the people were exposed In the
street. we had to stop. But II took
an hour 70 persuade those who hung
around the door that we could &c
= nothing until tina next week.
suffering Was Pitifui.
ssThe suffering of these poor, hun
gry people was indeed pidful. one
old man. apparently dying, was
brought to us. He had had nothing
but water for three days. He wai
carefully tended, fed with soup. and
after a few hours was able to &c
10 his home One woman reported
that two of her children had starved
TO death the week before And one
poor man died OF hunger on the very
corner of our street
This has been a great opportunity
for us to get in touch with the people
s~nousapds have entered our church
~yho had been taught TO believe thai
y their souls would he lost IL they dared
IL 40 such a thing, Once WITHIN tht
church. while waiting their turn II
s.s enrolled they had a few moments
(which 4e-Festa -tAo-t ten AEi1EI1Slnd
xnents, the Apostles Greed, ana tA'
Tord's PRAYER, which are painted Fl
church. Besides. they always founc
our workers courteous. willing 70 lis
Ten 10 their tales Of distress and q
do all they could for them, as well a.
20 add a kind word of sympathy
son leaving the church each per
cor received copy of the Ten Com
xnEndraents printed on largo shee'
of paper, Many had never seen th"s'
before Later our workers went Il
u
more about these families. In thii
way a new point of contact was es
tabisshed, and our workers had a new
opportunity To Glspel the old pre1u'
dice against Professionals. One OF oul
missionaries found that Roman
s-atholic priest had advised his people
TO go to the Protestant church TO en
roll for Red Cross help.
Churches Asked 10 Help.
''Our church has been requested r.
take charge Of, the soup kitchens Il
khe third ward Of the city. This vii
mean several hours OF daily contac
With the people as they come for tht
roreions Of FOOD allotted 70 them Wa
believe that God has been keeping u'
mere for. such day as this, and VIZ
nsk the prayers OF Christian people
everywhere that we may Re equal tc
the task before 1s-"
se An important conference was re,
4 Gently held in Columbus, Ohio, under
txte auspices OF the Commission or
Church and Country Life The results
ssnf a canvass Of that State showed
alarming religious conditions in rural
xsornmunities. The country church,
which "A generation ago was the back
bone OF the country's moral and re
3fEious life, has fallen on an evil day.
A large percentage IA reported as
without religious connection. Presi
! dent Wilson 3ourreved from Washing
ton 10 address the conference and
urge upon il the importance Of max
# ing the church a center cf social and
community influence.
In Washington recently an er:hu~
s.astic meeting was held on behalf
OF ST Iluke's Hospital the great Enls-
ssopaI institution in Tokyo. Japan
The President and Mrs. Gait now Mrs
Wilson ana several members Of the
cabinet ATTENDED Bishops Harding
and waslIin gton and KlnsoivInE, ot
Brazil, made addresses. Special sig
nifscance was laid or the international
stgnificarce 81 the enterprise and TN
great influence It Is already having