South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-15

er i'm the United States.
chairman of the national relief
board of the American Red Cross,
says: Was there ever a ship with
a less romantic name than the
Josh V. Throop'? IL could not even
be mentioned with the grace of the
feminine gender. But from Evans
Vile TO Cairo-4OO miles of woe be
gone people and long drawn out as
sistance-nO name was ever more
welcome" Abandoning the "ThrOop"
which was not suitable for navisa-
ton on the Mississippi, the Matte
Bell" was chartered by the Red
Cross at st. Louis and loaded with
grain, salt clothing, cooking uten-
sis. medicine and other supplies not
furnished by the government To
the farmers, to the tattered Ne
groes. to women and children. and
to cattle all along the way from ST.
Louis TO New Orleans, the Red
Cross ship carried it's aid. Long
after an old Uncle Amos told Miss
Barton that above a hundred little
cabin doors along the Mississippi the
Negroes had put up the Red Cross,
that "ev-ry night befo' dey goes to
bed dey names 20 names and prays
God to bless you an de Red Cross
dat He sent TO dem in time OF trou-
bic and distress"
Next followed an epidemic Of
yellOw-fever in Florida in 1881.
Some 80 women nursed the afflicted
70 -1x he
A. Delano, to whom is due the
splendidly organized Red Cross
nursing corps of today. was one of
the yellow-fever volunteer nurses.
Though it was not then known that
the mosquito was the carrier of the
yellow-fever germs, Miss Delano in
sisted upon the use of mosquito bars
and not one of her nurses contract
ed the fever. Then came the great
Johnston flood which claimed over
1000 victims and a property loss of
almost 100000. For this relief
work Miss Barton reported the Red
Cross received and expended $39.-
600.
Help For Starving Russia.
The great famine of Russia,
caused by drought and crop failure,
brought 10000 600 of people to face
starvation. Large appropriations
were made by the Red Cross gov
eminent and the Russian Red Cross
did all they could but the need was
beyond the supply. Slowly the
the wretched story of starvation
reached the American people. who
sent over five shiploads Of food sup
plies, one of watch was sent by the
American Red Cross and consisted
of corn donated by Iowa farmers.
Thus the Red Cross carries on its
wonderful work for the sake of
humanity.
Not until the end of the 18th cen
fury did the American Red Cross
have TO serve under war conditions.
Only by a national organization in
close affiliation and understanding
with the medical service of both
army and navy on the one hand.
and possessed of public confidence
and united support on the other.
can the necessary relief be furnish
ed in war times. The war with
Spain i'm 1925 furnished the first
cause for activity. The Spanish au-
thorities had herded together bands
Of men. women and children near
the seacoast towns and surrounded
them with a barbed-wire network OF
fences. and here they were left
without adequate shelter or provis-
ions. Pres't Mckinley. through
Sec'y Of state Sherman, appealed
for funds 10 be sent for distribution
TO Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, American
consul general 70 Havana. The Red
Cross offered its services to the
president for this relief work and
was accepted The American Red
Cross acted as distributing agent at
Havana until the actual breaking
out OF hostilities with Spain
Il was about this time that the
American Red Cross relief commit
tee was organized in New York city.
with various auxiliaries in the east
ern cities. This committee acted
practically Independently OF the Ma
tional association. raised. admins
tered. and accounted for its own
funds. Excellent service was car
ried on under many difficulties, for
there was no capable central or
SANITATION. The ship Red Cross"
was sent 10 Cuba. bearing supplies
and stores But storms drove her
/ back. In the end only FIVE amhu-
lances were landed. II having been
sent This was due largely 10 the
fact that the government misun-
derstOod the situation and Santiago
suffered as a consequence. Because