Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-26

, Germ Tor the welfare of their own couu-
! Try. I'll" National Guard was being.
in"bilizcd rrr duty on the Mexican
/ border: nurses were needed fer The
/ hospitals. and Christmas stockings for
| TIA" soldiers. In the meantime how
ever. Mis-, Mabel Boartlman the head
OF the Amcrican Red Cross Society. had
conceived the idea Of preparing all
I'll" material for base hospitals and
storing IL away in warehouses for u.,
when needed
People Are stirred Now.
~ usually takes a Crisis, or a near
CRISIS. 10 arouse the people to the
necessity OF elaborate preparation for
var however. ana il is only recently
mat contributions have como flowing
INTO IL" '""ictyS Golfers and the scr.
vices of hundreds Of women offered.
IN" best that last summer brought
lorth was on" base hospital for Tho
Eastern Division. with provisions amt
personnel in New York city. while nj
INC resent Time il looks a. &C several
base hospitals may he COMPLETED in
u icw months. !;u,. ,hcn. never before
has such q Widespread camuaiyn boon
conducted by the society
The Americas Rcd Cross of coursc
Is private organization whose ar
lihtion with the government js purely
honorary. II is supported by tho con-
tfibutionS ui patriotic Americans who
however. are not as patriotic In .his
respect as the Germans ar tho lam,
hcSe. NJ the beginning Ui tho Euro
p"an war. ii is estimated that t;crr,cuv
nhd over 100000 members IN its Red
ross organization. with 1916 base hos
nltais, "3J railway medical rooms ANA
~ conN;,lcSccn' homes while the lam,
ncSc Rcd Gross society hal over " 200
90" members. We have to-day nearly
""o'o"" members in our American Rod
Cross. q new builuihr FOR i,s iInaInuur
icrs. one c"mrlct"d baac hospital aud
a IL" iniSCcllanCou. Supt,lics
uhdci these circumstances tho So
''c'H IS in the market FOR cont!inu-
irons ana services. no matter how small
IF every woman would give ; cents :,
month TO the organization. she womb
ne surprised TO soc what /, would do
y gallon OF iodine costs appyoXiuatcl.
*io. but little I;cd Cross bottle costs
only 10 cents That quantity Of iodine
might prevent mans wound from
becoming Injected on tho battle neld
ana turn The balance between life and
death. Miss I!oardman. therefore,
wishes TO emphasize tho fact shat no
contribution can i've too small. \ dino
every month VIII not nc laughed al,
Most people have tho idca tla, 10 cent,
Is TOO little to give that /, ia better
70 CIV" uothin" and wish ;hcy would
get over IT,; She said. in discussing tho
matter Not long agn. she continued
She had asked her Stcuc.r:tphcr !. She
could afford to give tho society o cents
a month. and tho youn:. woman had
replied. Ms country j. worth more
tAan 10 cents 20 me- Yet. a greater
amount would have been a strain on
her income. and - cents worth ot a
drug might save - mans life
All service L. Valuable.
Another point emphasized 10y Miss
Boaidmau and her coworkcrs in the
organization is that no service is too
small TO be valuable. either. Every
body cannot have the high positions
and tho attractive jobs and tho ma
jority Of women VIII have To submit,
u the dictati"n OF the minority. ~
every Americas had his own way." de-
clared ono member, There would ne
~: coi"ncls aud one private Eyl-
IDENTITY Am effort wtll nave L" hc made
70 keep this "Mubcrant spirit %, lead
ership down in committee work
There is only one grave danger
asm OF tn" American women ia tho
committee work of the Rcd Cross. and
that is tn" enthusiasm itself Tho
whole ihin: has got 10 lie put on :,
serious systematic basis. or u may be-
come "a fad. The women who carried
their knitting for the French soldiers
wiki them 10 til. ihcatcr during the
frs; part OF the var NOW 90 empty
handed 10 the comic opera. aud others
who spent their afternoons ulaItiuc
dresses for the freezing BclEiaus now
go motoring and Sotiuc. Even IN
England. where War actually existed.
At the beginning The work uf the Br',.
ish Rod Cross Was threatened by its
popularity. and u became 4 society
fad-ius, as new dance or new
serve in tennis
The English uobility was photo
sraphcd sewing garments for soldiers:
II knitted during the afternoon tea
and sewcd some moro between tho
cepicd only from those in high social
positions and 90 the same political
opinions as tho prominent rclicf-corps
members. The serious minded and
really capable women did no; seem To
get holG OF the work until later. The
story is told al one man, for example
VINO. upon offering his country home
for hospital. was refused chiefly he
caus" his talks IN Tho House Of Com
mons did no; please the hos,csscs Of the
faSni"nab! London drawing rooms
The man Was sumcw hat diSConCcrtcd
but his wife WAS not. She secured adj
mission ia a London hospital and. while
mastering tho duties Of "a nurse studied
IN" whole working equipment Of tho
hospital Then Sh" returned home. had
the rugs taken up from ;hc floor, OF
her house. tho hau1inGS taken down.
and hospital beds and equipment in
stalled, Will" her own furnishings She
ordered taken L" the gardeners. cot
taEc. where She proposed 10 take UP
hcr residence as superintendent. There
upon. her husband offered his home
10 Canadian regiment. which quickly
accepted. and II has been performing
4 great service ever since
Fortunately. American women under
stand too well the ART of Organization.
as evidenced 10y tho iunumcrablc
womcn'S clubs inrouc hout the conn
try. TO allow personal matters TO in
terfcrc with III" accomplishment Of
their ends. licSidcs. they HAY. got To-
do this Rcd Cross work even better
than usual. In ease Of war. tho alton
ton Of the whole country viii bc
focused upon them. aud they Will have
TO snow the country what they can do.
Information is nut based upcn hcarsay.
bat impartS real knowledge about tho
doine3 1T the Ir;tssian Court