The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-24

less than s5,O0O, and only 8 receive from $5,000 to s7,500. It is a good | time also to denounce certain persis- | tent rumors and falsehoods about the | American Red Cross, one of the principal misrepresentations being | that knitted articles contributed to the | Red Cross are sold to the public or to the soldiers. That is an absolute | falsehood. The Red Cross would in stantly prosecute any violation of the fundamental law which governs its very organization, which is mercy and | relief free to the unfortunate.
 Relief Work Coordinated.
 We have divided continental United States into thirteen sections for the purpose of administration, insular territories constituting the fourteenth section. This makes for system and efficiency. It helps us get results more swiftly and surely. We have sought to coordinate all kinds of re- lief worS by calling to the Red Cross many organizations that had been working independently. The necessity for economizing cargo space was one VI L1AC 1SdSOHS 1OI lIllS.
 "1n our work for the army and the navy we have organized 49 base hos pital units, a third of which have al- ready gone into service in France. Each one contains 22 surgeons and physicians, 2 dentists, 65 Red Cross | nurses and 152 men of the enlisted reserve corps. The Red Cross has or sapized 45 ambulance companies at cost of about $40,00O for each com panT, which consists of 124 men and | needed equipment. For the navy, na- val station hospital units have been organized and 230 nurses have been | detailed for active service.
 We have established at Philadel- rhia the first general Red Cross hos pital in the country. It has 25O beds and is being used by the navy Our bureau of sanitary service is cooper ating with civil health authorities in meeting emergencies arising from the war. This work looks toward the l prevention of disease, such as malaria The bureau of camp service endeavors to keep in touch with soldiers and sailors from the time they join the colors and to look out for their com furt and welfare whenever possible | Field directors represent this bureau at the thirty-eight National Army can- tonments, mobilization stations and naval stations. These directors report a growing need for mufflers, wristlets, sweaters and comfort kits. I repeat, the women of America can earn still greater gratitude than they have yet l received.
 | Mobihzing Nurses.
 'The Red Cross is rapidly mobiliz- ing nurses for war service. It has en- rolled more than 14,000 trained nurses ] and more than 5000 Red Cross nurses are now in active service and 2,000 are working abroad. There is no immediate lack of adequately trained nurses, but the Red Cross is taking 1 steps to add to the available reserve: Numerous conferences have been held
 to solve certain problems connected
 with the organization of the nursing
 force.
 Much important work is being
 done in the way of civilian relief here
 in the United States, and a great deal
 of course will have to be done in the
 future. The home service is in need of
 trained workers and there is no ade.
 quate supply of them. Their business
 is and will be to see that when sol diers and sailors return from the war
 the families of these men maintain
 essential standards of home life; that
 matters of health. comfort and em- ployment shall be looked after. It
 is big and important side of the
 whole program.
 | Much has been done in disaster
 relief, the Halifax disaster furnishine
 the most recent example of Red Cross
 activity along such lines. Millions of
 women are giving a share of their
 time to the cause. and no part of Red Cross work is more important than
 the wonan's side of it. In consists
 largely in furnishing and constructing
 materials for the fighting men, of
 making surgical dressings and othe,
 supplies Surgical dressings are ur-
 gently needed abroad in France and
 Italy. Any woman desirous of help
 ing can go to any Red Cross chapter
 and get complete instruction.
 How Women May Help.
 We have had very urgent calls from our representatives abroad for ' more knitted goods. Again I refer to ) th1s It is vastly important. Mil , lions, literally, of such things as knitted muflers, socks, helmets, sweaters and the like are needed fin
 Frances Italy and Belgium. We must have them. Women can do a fine : work too in supplying the comfort ] kits that contain the convenient toilet } articles that soldiers and sailors are , always glad to get.
 "Now," continued MT. Davison, i've 7 come to a brief survey of our work in Europe. We have commissioners } abroad in charge of this work, Major ) Murphy, for example, having just
 been in Italy to see what could be l done to relieve the suffering of our
 Italian allies. In France alone a ? staff of s65 persons is handling the : work of the Red Cross Commission l So much is to be done in France that 7 the contemplation of 1t is fairly ap- } palling, Our general plan embraces ? the effort to establish and maintain for our own soldiers every sort of aid , and comfort that intelligence and ex- perbenee can suggest in cooperation : with the government; but 1t em- r braces a tremendous work of caring 4on asrr4Ita iofn hf