The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-07-09
GAMBLE Director
FORMER SENATOR WILL HEAD
RED CROSS IN SOUTH
DAKOTA.

Sioux Falls, July 9.-Former Sen
ator Robert j. Gamble has be IN ap
pointed director for South Dakota of
the National American Red Cross
and has received word that this state
has been transferred from the noun
tain to the central division of the
organization. The move is the first
step looking to thorough %oIganiza-
tion Of the Red Cross in South Da-
kota. Il. j. Curtis, field secretary OF
the central division, is in Sioux Falls
and will assist Mr.. Gamble in the
preliminary organization work, and
ii is hoped to have every phase of it
coordinated in a short time. The
offices of the state unit will be in
the Security National bank building.
the directors of the Security Building
company generously donating com-
modious quarters on the fourth floor
for the use OF the state officers. The
following telegram from the central
headquarters at Chicago, thus de
scribes the plans outlined for this
state:
THE nation has felt the great
need of the quick organization of
South Dakota in support of the lied
Cross in it's policy of assisting the
army and navy in all lines of pre-
%paredness, but the officials of the
Red Cross have been in a quandry as
10 the best means of attaining this
end.
"The first big step toward thor
ough organization has just been TAX
en- in the appointment to the position
OF state Red Cross director of Y. j..
Gamble, of Sioux Falls, a former
member of the United States senate
and the transfer of South Dakota
from the mountain division to the
central division.
THE interest which President
Wilson, the head Of the Red Cross,
has manifested in the state directors,
makes probable his personal confir-
nation of the appointment. A tele-
gram from Acting Chairman Elliott
Wadsworth, Of the central committee
of the Red Cross at Washington has
already conveyed to Mr.. Gamble his
appreciation Of the acceptance of the
position. 1t Is the intention of Di-
rector John j. O'Connor, OF the cen
trail division, to give the most Wig
orous support to the campaign of the
new director to make of South Da-
kota a leading state In Red Cross
activities. Every man, oma and
child i'm the state will be given OPP
portunity to identify themselves with
the Red Cross and help in its work
of making the country fully pre-
pared to support the army and navy
and care for the dependent families
of the fighting men.
MIR. Gamble will be assisted in the
organization of his state by f.. j.
Curtis, field secretary of the central
division headquarters at Chicago,
who has gone to the northwest to
take up the work. Mr.. Gamble and
Mr.. Curtis will start at once to or
ganize a Red Cross chapter in every
community. aid the chapters to build
up a membership representative of
their great state and make il a pow
er in the land. He will cooperate
closely with the central division of
flee At Chicago and the national or
ganization at Washington"
The recognition granted South
Dakota by the National Red Cross is
due to the work so far done in the
state by public spirited citizens and
the excellent results being shown un.
der existing circumstances. Ii will
mean the carrying of the national
system TO the local field. The coun'
, ty will be the unit and the branches
within the county will report to Their
chapter. The chapters will be under
the supervision of the state director
who in turn will make his reports tC
the central headquarters in Chicago
Each division then makes its con
densed report TO Washington. Under
the proposed plan in this state Siou,
Falls becomes the South Dakot;
headquarters, and all affairs relative
to the organization in the state viii
/ be conducted from here.