Evening star., 1917-05-06
as Gigantic War Organization of the People
ng members of our national organiza-

ing members Of our national organiza-
ton"
Ohicially stated. the purposes of the
American Red Cross are ito furnish
volunteer aid to the sick and wounded
of the army and navy in time of war;
to act in matters of volunteer relief.
and. in accordance with the naval and
military authorities, to serve as me
dunn Of communication between the
people of the United States and their
army and navy; to continue and carry
on a system of national and fnterna-
tional relief in time of peace, and to
apply the same in mitigating the suf-
ferings caused by pestilence. famine.
fire. foods and other great national
calamities and to devise and carry on
measures for preventing such calam-
tiles"
The national officers of the American
Red Cross are president. vice presi-
dent. treasurer. counselor and secre-
tary. Its governing board is the cen
tral committee, which consists of eight
cen members. The central committee.
besides the chairman. includes the Sec
retary OF State and the surgeons gem
eral of armv and navy. This commit
tee delegates Its responsibilities to it's
vice chairman, Eliot Wadsworth. who
is acting chairman and whose office Is
at the national headquarters in Wash
ington.
Under the central committee are two
divisions. that of military and that of
civilian relief. The division of all ac-
tivities under these two bureaus was
accomplished during the past year. The
director general of military relief is
Col. Jefferson r. Kean. L. S. A.. who is
largely responsible for the magnificent
medical organization known as the
Medical Reserve Corps; the director or
general of civilian relief. is Ernest P
Bicknel1, who Is known internationally
through his late work in cooperation
with the Rockefeller Fund in relief
work in warning Europe and in plague
stricken Serbia.
The department of military relief was
the direct result of the preparedness
movement. the object Of it's creation
being to furnish the machinery by
which the American Red Cross could
carry out the purpose of its charter
so far as concerned the furnishing Of
volunteer aid to the sick and wounded
OF armies in war and a medium of
communication between the people of
the United States and their army and
navy.
The organizations created by the Red
Cross to assist the medical service Of
the army and navy in time of war are
usually spoken of as military units
OF these the most important Is the
base hospital. because. being located at
at the front, 1t is the first real hospital
encountered by the wounded soldier in
his journey from the firing line toward
home. There for the first time he finds
a good bed and trained nurse.
A base hospital of 500 beds comprises
within its personnel twenty-six officers.
fifty nurses. twenty-five volunteer
nurses aids and fifteen civilian en-
ployes. Those who enroll for base
hospital service agree to serve the Red
Cross for period of two years and
promise that should war occur during
that time they will enter medical serv-
ice Of the army and navy. according to
the service to which their unit has
been assigned
Thirty-eight of these base hospitals
are now organized. either completely
or in part. equipment. medical staff
and nurses. ready on few days notice
after the call comes to take care of
the sick and wounded of million men.
1t is to complete the emergency war
time supplies for the sick and wounded
in war that the work of hundreds OF
thousands of women throughout the
country is required.
The bureau of nursing service of the
American Red Cross has an enrolment
Of nearly eight thousand nurses. ready
on call, all graduates of recognized
training schools of excellent standing
and the mothers of the country may
rest assured that if their sons need
medical attention or nursing care
through enlistment in the army or
navy. they will have the best trained
service in the world. The American
Red Cross is prepared to give them
this.
To carry on its great mission of
mercy the American Red Cross requires