The weekly soliphone., 1917-06-14
RED CROSS


Paragould ministers have agreed
to preach sermons on the subject
of Red Cross work next Sunday
June the 18th to the 25th is the
time designated by the Red Cross
War Council for a campaign, the
object of which will be to raise
500, 100000. This money will be
distributed wherever it is most
needed Sundays sermons on Red
Cross work will be delivered in
order to prepare the people for the
campaign.
The President by his proclamation
created within the Red Cross a
War Council consisting of twenty
members from different parts of
the United States. The purpose of
this War Council is to devise means
to raise one hundred million dol
lars within short time in order
to meet immediate demands for re-
lief work in Europe. The creation
tinct organization from the Ameri-
can Red Cross, but only an auXil-
larry in the way of a committee to
carry forward a special project. And
that is the raising of one hundred
million dollars in the United States
and the distribution of the same
where most needed. The American
Red Cross, under its organization,
is too general in its operation to
carry forward a project of such
magnitude as the one of raising
the sum of money needed. There
fore it was necessary. to create the
War Council for this special pur-
pose Further, since the American
Red Cross is the only organization
congress, it has assigned the de-
| tails of carrying out this work to
this organization.
The War Council has been hold
| ing a series of meetings at differ
ent cities of the U. s., the last
meeting of which was held at
| Wichita, Kan, on the 9th inst. The
purpose of that meeting was to per
| feet an organization for an inten-
siVe campaign from June 18th to
the 25th in the states of Missouri,
Kansas Texas and Arkansas. The
time for this active campaign be
gins Monday, June 18th, and CON
| tinues for one week. But this act
i've campaign is preceded by day
June 18th, at which time prepare
lions will be made for this work
| Sunday, June 18th, is Bunker Hill
Day" and every minister in the
| United States is asked to preach a
sremon on Red Cross work. 1t can
be clearly seen that this universal
service in the churches, irrespective
of the creed, is to educate public
sentiment of this most important
| work.
There seems to be a misappre
| hension of the intentions of this
campaign. Many members who are
now affiliated with the American
Red Cross and who have given a
dollar as membership fee, think that
that is all that is required of them.
But in this they are wrong. That
is to say, this movement requires of
men who have means to make a
! liberal and substantial donation to
| this War Council. OF course, there
are many worthy and patriotic cit
liens in the United States who can
not contribute penny to this
all citizens who are financially able
to contribute literally of their
means. If a person is not member
of the Red Cross donation of any
sum from one dollar up means that
that person is member for one
year. And the membership will be
identified with the Paragould chap
ter. The joining of the American
! Red Cross either by membership
or by donation requires no further
work of the person Who joins
There IS an imemdiate necessity for
raising this money and the Amer
lean Red Cross Association is the
| only organization that can meet
! this demand Congress cannot
raise this fund for the reason that
its work is done by legislation and
! it is therefore too slow to meet
the needs of the work in Belgium
France and Russia. France main
tains q battle line of 400 miles and
has at present $4,000 ambulances
Russia has a battle line of 1000
and has 5000 ambulances. The
chaotic condition in Russia is
| likely due to the lack of efficiency
of the Red Cross work in Russia,
/ In Poland the civil population is
practically on starvation The
United States has contributed 80
cents per capita for the entire re-
! lief work in Europe. This includes
the feeding of Belgium, while the
| Canadians have not only furnished
an army of 100000 men, but have
tod q