The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-01
BUILDING A RED CROSS
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
By Frederic j. Haskin. Director.
Washingfnn. d C.

marble building TOT lis neduQudi tci .
in Washington, many people shrug-
ged their shoulders. That is to say,
they implied that their generous
contributions and unselfish srbscr1p-
tions might be used for more useful
purposes than a building. Then, the
organization numbered about two nun
bred thousand members, the, execu-
tive staff about ten, including the
stenographer, SO that white marble
headquarters did seem trifle I'M
necessary.
Today, the American Red Cross
has over two million members, its
executive staff, including the clerks
and stenographers, numbers over a
hundred, and the new building, when
once apparel extravagant, is over
crowded. Rows of small offices,
separated by wooden partitions, have
had to be built along the corridors;
desks that were once quietly neat
and decorated with small bowls OF
flowers are now half submerged in
a chaos of pamphlets, circulars and
mail, which is rushed in and rushed
out each. day by the organization
own special corps of motorcycle mail
carriers.
The Red Cross at war, if it lives
up to one-tenth of its war program.
will be one of the wonders of the
world. Capitalized at $118, 600,
managed by the nations foremost
business men, and possessing the
sympathy and cooperation of the en-
tire American population, it is I'M
doubtedly the greatest constructive
agency the world has ever seen. Such
an organization in times of peace
could turn our slums into beautiful,
healthful, livable places; turn our
criminals into self-respecting indus
trious citizens, and reduce our infant
mortality to a minimum As it is, all
of its energy will be expended on
repairing the frightful damage of
war.
Now that we are committed to war,
let us be grateful for the Red Cross,
which is one of it's redeeming fea-
lures. 1t is the Red Cross which will
take care of our soldiers at the front,
which will restore the farms and viii
lagos of Europe that nave been liter
ally swept off the map by the enemy,
and which will keep the soldiers fam
lily from starving before he returns.
These things are what the Red
Cross proposes to do. For tina. rea-
son the work has been divided into
two separate heads, the first of which
deals with military relief, and the
second with civilian relief On June
IL, the first American Red Cross
commission arrived in Paris. There
it established a headquarters from
which all of the European work will
be directed, and started its campaign
of reconstruction.
The difficulties encountered in this
campaign are easily appreciated when
you consider that the commission has
to employ Workmen, buy material and
erect hospitals and canteens IN a
country where values are different
the language unfamiliar and labor dis
couragingly scarce. Yet we now have
seven hospitals ready for American
wounded in France, and numerous
canteens already feeding soldiers. In
cooperation with the Y. NJ 6. A.,
swimming pools, bowling alleys, pool
tables, chess and checkers have been
provided for the mems amusement in
various recreation booths.
DR.. Flexner, American expert on
tuberculosis is tackling the French
tubercular problem, which has grown
to such alarming size in the past two
years George B. Post. or foremost
town lanner is over there LAYING ont
of France, while American agricul-
tural experts are buying cattle and
poultry and farm tools for the destf-
tute French peasants. Not much can
be done for each individual, of course.
A COW will be given here, a few chick
ems there, the most necessary farm
tools distributed to those who abso-
lutely need them, and clothes will be
given to those whose apparel was con-
fiscated by the Germans. If the war
were to end now, France would still
be in such a hopeless condition that
it would take years for her to recover
if some stronger nation did not step
in and help her
In Russia a subcommittee Of the
European commission is distributing
medical supplies and caring for Rus
sian wounded in an effort to encour-
age that notion, which like France,
because of its accessibility has borne
the greater brunt of the wars devas-
tation. Red Cross doctors have been
freely giving their SERVICE to Serbia
for the past two years, working val
lantly to combat the malignant typhus
and occasionally getting it and dying,
themselves. Now, one more Red Cross
committee has arrived ia Rumania.
Rumanians, it is reported. are still
dazed from the sudden and forceful
contest they had with the Teutons
Sanitary affairs are in very bad
state, and the population is suffering
from lack of food. A large part OF
the Rumanian wheat crop of last year
was taken over by the victorious Teu-
| tons, and since then the farmers have
| become demora1ized. The Red Gross
has a Iarge-sized job awaiting it In
/ Rumania.
Here in this country the Red Cross
is by no means idle. Every soldiers
| training camp must have its Red
Cross building with its Red Cross rep
resentative. At Fort Oglethorpe. fr
Georgia, new swimming pool, capa-
BILE of accommodating 500 men, is or
the road to cohpletion-a Red Gross
present to the soldiers. For most OF
this work much administration is re-
quired. With the building of every
swimming pool, canteen and recrea-
ton facility, contracts must be let
lumber ordered, furniture bought and
hundreds of other details attended tC
! nh oh, 10 moi on ha-
Then, there is the tremendous tasH
| of civilian relief in this country. MI
merous soldiers have Joined the army
and navy without Immediately get
ting on the payroll Sometimes it il
| two months. the Red Cross asserts
before the working machinery of the
government gets around to some sol
der. or course, he gets every CEN
of his pay in the end, but in tbs
j NJ q rafi,,a.- his family aaiexhf h< seri.