Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-07-19

armies had fought 1t and had left 10000 wo
amid agonies that cannot be told Neither sur
geOns, nurses comrades paid any heed to those
10000 whose tortured bodies lay for days on the
field. until death relieved those who could not
crawl away
But Dunant saw-and heard-the horrors there,
and he told much of it that he able to get
the leading nations to send delegates to the Ge-
ueva convention, and so started the movement
which has developed into the Red Cross
fine account of this achievement was in the Red
Gross Magazine of May, 1917
Though acclaimed a leader in humani-
tartan work, the United States then little
interested Red Cross that the treaty
not signed until 1882. But in 1905 the government
swoke, at least in part to the opportunity, and
chartered the American Red Cross as it is today.
The president of the United States is the active
head of the Red Cross. and presdes at its meet
angs. But little influence has politics in this
work of mercy that former President Taft is
chairman of the central committee, by appoint
ment of President Wilson. And the present writer
wishes to say that, though he has been connected
more or less closely with headquarters of the
central division for two and half years, he
actually does not know the politics of another
officer of either national local organization.
Like snakes in Ireland, politics in the Red Cross
vested in central committee of eighteen
bers six appointed by the president of the United
States. the others elected by representatives of
the members And since the president himself
is chosen by the people. the policy of the entire
Red Cross is united very closely alike to the gov
eminent and the people. Since a central COM
mittee of eighteen is too unwieldy to transact
routine business with dispatch, power is further
concentrated in an executive committee of seven
members of whom five constitute quorum. The
chairman of the executive committee must, by
law, be the chairman of the central committee.
How closely the Red Cross is identified with the
government is shown by tracing, briefly the posi-
tons held by it's officers. AS has been said, the
president of the United States is president, and
he appoints the chairman of the central committee
and six of its members. The chairman of the
trail committee is also chairman of the executive
committee of The of the Red
Cross is John Shelton Williams, comptroller of the
currency of the United States, and the counselor
of the Red Cross is John w. Davis United States
solicitor general.
Under former President Taft the central
committee such Brig Gen. Charles
Bird of the United States Army; Rear Admiral
William c. BREASTED, surgeon general of the United
States navy; Maj, Gen. William G. Gorgas. sur
geon general of the United States army; Robert
Lansing. United States secretary of state; Frank
Tin X Lane, secretary of the interior, and Judge
w. W. Morrow.
under three great departments One for mill
tary relief; for civilian relief, and for
chapters. The composition of each will be briefly
outlined
Jefferson Randolph Kean, United States army
medical corps. grandson of Thomas Jefferson.
Under him the medical bureau, in charge Of
the medical personnel of base hospitals the first
aid Instruction. the nursing bureau, in charge of
nurses and nurses aids for base hospitals, and
women'S classes in training; the service units to
care for soldiers and sailors-ambulance COM
panies, base hospitals, nurse detachments, sani-
tary detachments and general hospitals; and the
Red Cross supply service for the buying, storing
and shipping of all kinds of supplies.
The department of civilian relief is under Ernest
p. Bicknell, director general, with long record
of personal service in disaster relief. His depart
ment controls all relief work at domestic and for
eign disasters of fire, flood and pestience; the
relief of noncombatants in war, both here and
abroad; the of the families of soldiers and
sailors; the town and country nursing service
and the sale of Christmas seals for the stamping
out of tuberculosis.
The department of chapters is under E. n
Wells. director of chapters. 1t DEALS through the
directors of the nine territorial divisions with the
organization of new chapters, and the membership
campaigns in those already formed.
The Red Cross Magazine, at first little more
than monthly bulletin which told, briefly, the
-doings of the organization, has grown into
a splendid publication valued recently at 81 900,
OOO). which tells by clear pictures and vivit
stories the history of the Red Cross for eacf
month all over the world
Each member of the Red Cross above the one
dollar class gets the Red Cross Magazine free
part of the dues going to the publication The cir
-culation. which only % 900 three years ago. Il
NOW about 100000. and growing by leaps of 5000
time. 1t has been predicted by men in thu
position know best that within a few years /
will be making S25O,OOO year clear profit for tn
RED Cross instead of costing $4,000 month, a
1T did until short time ago.
Under the national organization at Washington
the territory of the United States divided int
great divisions, each under the supervisor
and standing between the national officers and tn
the state and local organizations
The unit of the Red Cross system is the chapte,
NhIs always some definite territory. usual