The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-07-28
WILL CARE FOR
SOLDIER DEAD
PURPLE CROSS PLANS TO RE-
TURN BODIES TO THIS
COUNTRY

oltpS nave UCch tdhCH " uduSu
rate an interesting phase of war
work that has yet received no pub
licity in the west and but little in
the east, a phase that is wars most
disagreeable feature, but at the
same time is essential to the con-
duct of all modern wars outside
Germany, where they burn the dead
and it is suspected do even worse
things with the bodies than burn
them.
The care of American dead and
plans that are now being made to
preserve the bodies and return them
to this country were disclosed this
morning by Thomas F. Dunn, who
is a member of the Purple Cross,
an organization that was recently
quietly organized in Philadelphia
with the object of returning home,
we'll preserved, the bodies of Amer
lean soldiers who fall on European
battlefields.
After the Philippine instruction
the local undertaken had exper-
lcIICe III hdIullHS tIc ClldlHS VI
men shipped from the Philippines
and knows in what poor
they were shipped and that nothing
but the bones, impossible to identl-
fly, were every returned to this
country.
1t is to remedy such conditions
that leaders in the Purple Cross
movement are now enlisting the aid
of newspapers to induce mothers
and fathers of men enlisted or SUBJ
ject to draft to write to senators
and representatives urging them to
support the Purple Cross house bill
No. $40, a bill to render pos
sible the return of bodies of our
soldier dead to their home burial
grounds in a sanitary and recognize
able condition"
Just as the Red Cross is supple>
menting the work of the war de-
partment, so the Purple Cross will
supplement the work of the depart
ment in its line. The val depart
ment has gone as far in this reset
Dis laws VIII pei ulit anu DeyOHu
that the burden will be carried by
the Purple Cross. Until 100 cents
of every dollar contributed can be
lawfully used for the purpose of
the organization, no initiation fees,
dues or contributions will be accept
ed and the expense of preliminary
work is being borne by Howard S.
Eckles of Philadelphia. a physician
and manufacturing chemist, as a
patriotic duty.
The Purple Cross was first an
nounced in the Philadelphia Record
in a lengthy article, parts of which
follow:
Discovering that no modern sys-
ten had been devised by govern
ment officials for taking care of
the soldier-dead in France, officials
of the American Purple Cross Asso-
citation Immediately held a confer
ence with Secretary of War Baker
and presented a plan that promises
to r~evOlutionize and remove one of
the most grewsome features from
liouCih wal
1t was first suggested hat the
American Purple Cross Association
should bear the same relation to
the quartermaster generals depart
ment as the Red Cross does to the
medical department. Major General
Henry G. Sharp, quartermaster gen.
eral of the United States army,
greeted the plan with enthusiasm
and a series of conferences, ove
ing the best part of a week, were
held in his Washington offices.
DR.. Eckles and DR.. Mowbray
made the following offer to the gov
eminent:
we will furnish such number of
embalmers for the preservation of
the bodies of soldiers killed in bat
tie or dying in hospitals as you
may deem necessary for the pur-
pose.
I'VE will divide these into such
units as you may direct.
1--WE will equip and train these
e
We II ouCl uIibC
of automobile ambulances as will
be necessary for this service.
I'VE will pay all expenses Incl
dent to their equipment. training,
transportation and maintenance.
These will be available for all
sanitary work, asking only that
these may be allowed to keep their
own individual formation.
IF it be your wish that we be
Incorporated in the army Organiza-
ton, we will arrange to be enlisted
as individuals and assigned as you
may direct"
Right now we have more than
$15O,O00 pledged for carrying for
ward our plan" declared DR.. Now
bray and we can easily raise $1O.-
mn nAn aH r0~