Connecticut western news., 1917-03-08
JOIN THE RED CROSS
Ladies Clubs to Canvas Canaan for
 Members.

AS told in another column, the mem. bers of the Cranfori and Hawthorne Clubs, at the joint meeting at Miss Adams, Thursday afternoon, voted unanimously to do all they could to increase the membership of the Ameri- can Red Cross.
 A committee was appointed and the work will be carried out as soon as supplies are received. This is in line with what is being dcne throughout the United States.
 | According to information from the national headquarters the movement is general so, in order to expand and develop the organization of the Ameri. can Red Cross in local communities, the country has been divided up into six divisions and director appointed for each division. The Pacific Division has its headquarters at San Francisco, the Mountain Division at Denver, the Central Division at Chicago, the North. eastern Division at Boston, the Alta 1tic Division at New York, and the South. ern Division provisionally at Washing. ton, in connection with the national headquarters.
 These divisional offices have been created for the purpose of organizing a great number of new chapters through. out the country for which there has been all unprecedented demand during the last three weeks, and also for the purpose of increasing the membership enrollment and the activities for exist ing chapters.
 About year ago the American Red Cross CT tered upon campaign for l.. 900, 900 new members, of which 250.- 900 have since been enrolled. The present international crisis has stimu- lated new interest all over the country. In the Atlantic Division practically all of the large cities are engaged in mem. bership enrollment campaIgns, and are each endeavoring to secure from 10, 900 to 25,000 new members. Campaigns at New Haven, Hartford, Albany, Schenectady, Syracuse, Buffalo, Scran ton, and Pittsburgh are we'll under way, and the interest in the small commun. ities is no less general. Now is the time for the American people to present united front in relief work, and as the American Red Cross in the only or ganizatton that has charter from Con- gress authorizing it to exrend relief to our army and our navy in time of war, very careful plans for co operation with other national organizations have been effected.
 The new wave of patriotism that is breaking out all over the country is very real, and is an indication that the American people as whole are walk ing up to the fact that the American Red Cross is worthy of their support. The membership of the American Red Cross in the states of New York, Penn sylvania. New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware, which represent the Atlantic Division, is now about 15C, ,000. There should be at least 800, GOO members in | this division, and this can be accom- plished if every citizen will yield to the patriotic impulse that he must be feeling at such a time as this. The duty nf every American is to enroll in the local chapter of the Red Cross in the community where he resides, and to give that chapter the support it needs.
 During the last two years the Red Cross in America has worked out a very thorough plan of preparedness. It confidently believes that it is now ready to meet any emergency that it may be called upon to face. The Red Cross will not be adequately prepared, however. until at least 1000, 900 citi- gers will give it their indorsement by becoming members.