New-York tribune., 1917-04-09
Society Will Install Central
Depots in Large
Cities
To Eliminate Waste
Gifts and Comforts To Be
Distributed to Amer
can Troops

Washington. April s. great ma
tionsl supply system, with central
depots and warehouses in all the prin-
cipal cities. has been organized By the
American Red Cross to distribute gifts
and comforts for American troops and
military hospitals.
This service will be At tho disposal
Of all individuals or organizations. In
every training camp. in every military
and naval hospital. at every army base,
there viii DC agents Of Red Cross Sup
Ply Service to report on the needs OF
the men and TO supervise the distribu-
tion Of supplies.
Behind the field organization VIII be
bureaus in charge of the collection and
forwarding Of supplies. These viii act
under the direction Of n central Office
in Washington, which will be in close
association with the War and Navy de-
partments and with the Council Of Ma
tonal Defence. As director of the
supply service, the central committee
Of the American Red Cross has chosen
W. Frank Persons, formerly director
of the Charity Organization Society OF
New York City.
To Aid All Societies
The service Will help patriotic and
relief societies throughout the country.
So far as possible. il is understood,
these societies will work on orders or
requests for special articles forwarded
from division or central headquarters.
1t is expected that in this manner
much Of the waste arising from mis-
directed or uncentralized effort may be
eliminated. Overproduction of certain
articles may be avoided and shortage
IN others prevented. In the same way
The reports of field agents at all the
distribution points tabulated az the
central Office viii show where supplies
are insufficient and where there is a
surplus.
Similar economies will prevail in
the purchase and forwarding of all
supplies. Materials 20 be shipped wiI
be drawn from The central depot near
est their destination. while raw ma
terials for all local producing units
will be purchased in wholesale quan
titles and sold At cost from these
warehouses.
To supervise the collection and
preparation OF supplies. branch head
quarters have been established in Me-
York. Boston. Chicago. Denver. New
Orleans and San Francisco. The work
Of smaller towns and cities Tll be d.
rected from these centres.
Bush Offers Facilities
The director OF the New YORK
branch o. Red Cross Supply Service
is Otto T. Barnard. of the New York
Trust Company. Mr.. Barnard will
give practically his entire time to this
work. and he will be assisted by al
advisory committee. consisting If
Henry James, chairman of the eyecu-
tive committee of the New York Cour
tv Chapter Of the American Red
Cross: Irving T. Bush. OF the Bush
Terminal Company; Newcomb Carlton,
president Of the Western Union Telc-
graph Company; A. l.. Salt, vice-pres-
ident Of the Western Electric Com
panv; Charles D. Norton. vice-prcsi
dent of the First National Bank, and
others.
Thirty thousand square feet Of ware
house space in this city has been do
mated to Red Cross Supply Service
by Mr.. bush Excellent shipping
facilities by both water and rail are
nrovided. and the New York ware
bouses are likely to serve as the cen
raj distributing point for supplies fo~
49,, American forces. naval or mill
tarv. sent abroad. Mr. Barnard has
os.ablishcd his Office on the thirt"-
fourth foor Of the Metropolitan