Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-12-14

W
the sun sets on Christmas day.
They are to be known as Christmas members,
these 100000 new ones, and it is in the Christ
mas spirit that they to be recruited-the spirit
of unselfishness, of caring for the afflicted, OF
alleviating suffering.
While it is getting these new members, the
100000 who now wear the Red Cross emblem :
are giving all the Christmas cheer they can to the
boys in khaki. They need it. Tens of thousands
of Them and it may be hundreds of thousands, are
now in France with Pershing, facing the terrible
Germans across the desOlate waste of No Mans
Land Millions more to go after them, and
,ther and still other millions until the foe which
Claims the world for Germany is willing to 60
.ome and behave civilized nation
They will have CHEEKY Christmas this year.
very man in France will have little packet
rom 'home," with the love and good wishes of the
american people-and that means lot to the
Hung fellow who perhaps never before spent
hrstmas away from his home folks. It will put
f~22'"'+ :rto him for the task ahead.
The men on this side, waiting in the training
camps for their turn to go across, will also have
as merry Christmas as, the Red Cppss can pro-
vide. Christmas trees, with gifts Of some kind,
bearing world of cheer and hope from the great
heart of the American people, will greet every
nan in uniform. wherever he may be.
This Christmas will be merry one for the
whole. of the army and navy. The boys have
Nor been long away from home, they have had
lnlost none of the hardships Of war, and they
,one to the feast with light hearts
r. War has taken almost no toll from, them thus
u Belgium and France, Serbia and Roumanja,
. treat Britain and her colonies, Russia and Italy,
ave borne the brunt of frightfulness and our
Tvs have been spared. So it will be a merry
christmas for them.
Next year it will be- different The pinch of
Nriyation will be felt in the land-voluntary to a
'reat extent, but it will be felt There will be less
md To ho Fo1
nd clothed who no longer produce, and all the
;ation will all it can to give to those who
fighting, and to those defenseless ones on the
'ther side who have nothing.
And there will be gaps in the ranks, and there
III be full hospitals There is where the Red
ross comes in-wherever there is disaster. The
hospital buildings the equipment, the surgical sup
les. the surgeons and nurses and orderies the
nbulances and the drivers and the stretcher
Aoulders Of the Red Cross. 1t will carry it., be-
'ause it has the backing of the American people;
nd in the meantime it must carry the load Of
he nations which have already suffered more
han three years of frightfulness
Here some of the things the American Red
Cross is right now doing in France: where it has
spent $lO,OOOOOO. These extracts were taken from
I report by the Paris headquarters to Henry P.
Davi son, chairman Of the Red Cross war council,
which raised a fund of $1OOOOO,00O for it's work:
eve have Just given $1,OOOOOO for needy sick
''Oar hospital distributing service sends supplies
10 1923 French military hospitals, and is laying
IN large stock for future needs.
Our surgical dressings service supplies 1000
'renth hospitals and is preparing immense sup
plies for our own armies.
'''' 80 "nerA+ng ut the front line, in co.opera-
ton with the French Red Cross, ten canteens,
nd are preparing for 20 more and at six can
Gems for French soldiers at railway stations we
10 serving about 10000 men a day.
1--WE have opened a chidren's refuge and hos
pital at point where several hundred children
we been gathered to keep them from danger of
as and shell fire. At another point we have
established medical center and a travelling dis
pensary to accommodate 1900 children.
I'VE are making arrangements on a'large scale
to help refugee families through the winter with
,lothing beds, shelter, and for this work the en-
ire devastated portion of France has been divided
VITO six districts with resident Red Cross dele
gate In each. Warehouses have been established
at four points to which shipped food, clothing
bedding beds, household utensils and agricultural
implements.
1--WE have a large centfal warehouse in Paris,
and distribution warehouses at important points
from the Swiss border to the sea. Two hundred
ons OF supplies are arriving in Paris daily and
10 tons are shipped to branch warehouses"
From other authorities word has come that the
Germans are driving back into France, through
switzerland, the ragged, sick, hungry and home
less women and children Of the conquered districts
# France at the rate Of 10000, month. Held In
aptivity for more than three years. they are
low driven forth even from che ruins In which