Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-06
WILL THE HORSE
Win THE WAR !?
The "Blue Cross" Over There--The
Red Star Over Here
WHAT THEY STAND FOR
A National Society To Take Up The
Care Of War Horses.

An organization, known as the Red
Star Animal Relief. came into being
in this country about year ago, the
counterpart of the Blue Cross "over
there" in Europe Very little is
known of it, perhaps because it takes
more than year for people to become
sufficiently interested in any new
movement to find out what it means.
With SO many home and war chari-
ties that have. already made their ap-
peal TO our hearts and sympathies,
this is perfectly natural, yet here is a
new one, the direct result of the war.
and moreover. a necessary adjunct of
the war
Few of us realize what very inn
portant factor in carrying on the
war the horse is. First, by hauling
food and supplies to the soldier, for
he cannot fight without these; sec
ond. by bringing up artillery to pur-
sue the fleeing foe, thus turning de-
feat into rout.
England, with plenty of horses has
lost scarcely a cannon for months,
while Germany, whose supply of
horses is running low, has lost heay-
lily in field artillery. An army with
out horses may very easily be dead
factor.
The American Army viii need over
million horses year. The supply
is not limftless, and the country's
stock has already been heavily drain
ed. The average loss has been 4,700
a month With Americas entry in the
war it will be much greater When
our forces come within striking dis
tance our horses viii be killed and
wounded by the thousands. What, if
as the result of one days hard fight
ing, five thousand horses and mules
are sent to the rear for treatment
VIII there be hospitals. trained
veterinarians who know how to
bandage a horses wound, and help
ers to do the work? IL not. most Of
them will be slaughtered.
Fresh horses are constantly need
ed. Fighting units can only deal with
well animals and for every horse kill
ed or wounded there must be a fresh
one ready Immediately to take its
place.
If adequate facilities are not pro-
vided for caring for and restoring
these animals to usefulness, there
comes the problem of replacing those
lost. To replace an average months
loss on the Western front would re-
quire fifty large ships for full
month carrying nothing but horses.
The country cannot spare the ships to
do this.
The Red Stars work OF caring and
curing wounded horses may be seen.
therefore, to be a military necessity.
The War Department cannot meet
the problem alone, no other govern
ment has been able TO, and the Red
Star has been gratefully recognized
by Secretary Baker as the only pri-
vate work for the relief Of our army
horses. Two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars is needed at once to
carry on the work. Everybody is
asked to help by sending one dollar
(the annual membership dues) to Or.
w. o. Stillman. Director General, Red
Star Animal Relief. Albany, ~ Y.
BY directly helping these willing and
faithful workers, you are indirectly
helping your own soldiers. The cause
is humane. Christian, patriotic How
can any one resist it?
There are 'orses big an small
But the biggest of them all
Is the 'orse wot lays a-dying on
the ground;
+ doesn't cause no wars
An 'e's only fighting yours
An e gives is life for you without
a sound;
e doesn't git no pay
Just some oats and perhaps some hay
If 'e's killed no one thinks a bit OF
i'm;
'E's just as brave and good
AS any man wot ever stood
But there's mighty little thought OF
elp for i'm.
pEn CR0SS SEAL DAY