The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-30
CENTRAL|zE ALL
CIVIC VOL UNTEERS
UNDER RED CROSS
New e. s. Food Dictator Hoover
Makes Plea.
Tons of Waste Energy in Over
tapping Effort.
PROFIT BY EUR0PE'S MISTAKES
Become of Utmost Use Under
Specific, Direct Control.
Red Cross Systematizes Chain
of Warehouses in U. s.
PROFIT BY EUROPE'S MISTAKES
Red Cross Systematizes Chain
of Warehouses in u. s.

Washington, April 30.-Herbert e.
Hoover chairman of the new national
food board, recently created by the
council of national defense. and who
since the outbreak of the war has
been head of the commission for re-
lief in Belgium, urges the American
people to profit by the mistakes made
abroad in administering war relief.
In a letter to Eliot Wadsworth, act
ing chairman of the American Red
Cross. made public today, Mr.. Hoover
pleads for prompt organization and
Capitalization of "all volunteer civilian
effort connected with the comfort of
those in the service of the army and
navy" under Red Cross supply serv-
ice as the 'only possible solution" to
prevent an enormous lot of pain,
turmoil, and waste"
Every country in Europe" de-
clares Mr.. Hoover, has gone thru an
era of 6isintegrated overlapping eff
fort the multiplication of thousands
of committees, and tons of useless.
iuapropos. and wrongly destined ma
terial
Independent Aid ConfuSes.
I'm England and France, especially,
the erection of special and independ-
ent or semi-independent committees
has been fruitful of the most extreme
difficulties, until they accept direct
control, after which they have become
To prevent the repetition of these
mistakes in the United States. Red
Cross Supply Service" with a chain
of warehouses in the principal cities.
has been organized by the Department
of Military Relief of the American
Red Cross. This Supply Service, with
branch headquarters in New York,
Boston, Chicago, Denver. New Or
leans, and San Francisco, will co-op-
crate with patriotic and relief socie-
ties in the forwarding of all soldiers
comforts and hospital supplies
AS a means of eliminating the waste
described by Mr.. Hoover, agents of
Red Cross Supply Service are to be
stationed in every military training
camp ard at every army base. These
supplies arriving from Red Cross de-
pots. Calls for hospital supplies
made by cha piers and organiza tons
affiliated with the Red Cross as far
as possible will be filled as orders az
factory are filled.
Two and a Half Years in Europe
Mr.. Hoover's letter, outlining the
necessity for such work as the supply
service will do, is as follows:
AS the result of the past two and
half years experience of war, all
European countries now know the vi
tai necessity for total Capitalization
under the Red Cross executive of the
whole of the volunteer civilian effect
connected with the comfort of those
in the service of the army and navy.
Every country in Europe has gone
thru an era of disintegrated overlap
ping effort, the multiplying of thou
sands of committees and tons of use
less, inapropos, and wrongly destined
material.
There was a long struggle on the
part of the military and Red Cross
officials to get those matters on to :,
systematic and effective basis
I'm the end they have come to one
form of organization in every country
in Europe, by which the Red
Cross executive centralizes executive
control of all such activities and de-
centralizes its various phases into local
chapters and these again are divided
into divisions for the provision of
money. of surgical and medical sup
plies. of nurses, of base and GONZALES
cent hospitals, the creation, collection.
transportation, Standardization and
redistribution, etc, of all sorts of sup
plies
Women Organize.
THE grouping of these various di-
visions must be varied with national
necessity, depending upon Biographies
and transportation questions The
work of the women. which is a very
large factor in Red Cross work must
be co-ordinated thru the centra |
agency and a representation of the
women in that central agency has