The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-06-20

The task of co-ordinating the work of
the Red Cross chapters and that of 9TH
er organizations under one head is be-
ing worked out by Judge Robert s.
Lovett. formerly chairman of the Union
Pacific Railroad.
Giving His Services Free.
Like members of the War Council. he
is giving his time free of charge TO this
work In this way these men are do
ing their bit"
And that is the spirit of the whole
Red Cross. 1t is served by more talent
given free than probably any other or
ganization in the world. There are few
salaries, and none that is great. Cleri-
cal hire cannot be avoided entirely. but
from the War Council down the line
through all minor administrative Off
GERS. chapter chairmen and the like. to
workers the time and work are given
for the good of humanity.
Two things stand out. therefore. The
work of the Red Cross will be efficient
" done Its funds do not go TO pay
people for soft jobs. They go to do
good On thes points the charitable
may rest assured.
No limit can be set to the work that the
Red Cross must do. But the War Coun-
Gil must have a war fund of 100000
600 at once. That is a minimum. Her
bert Hoover directed In his Belgian
Relief Commission work the expendi-
ture of $3.50 O00, 900. and could have us
ed $500. 900, 600. And that is only small
part of the war map.
Ala at Home Comes FIRST.
The Red Cross will have to meet not
only the demands for relief abroad but
first of all it will have enormous work
here at home. and next for our army
afeld and our navy aioat.
The 500. 900. 600 asked for by the Red
Cross is 20 cover a considerable period
OF relief and reconstruction. and all the
while the Powers at war are spending
that much every day of destruction.
Upon the American Red Cross will de-
volve the duty at least of giving the
people OF the the war swept countries of
the Allies a new start in life as fast
as the territories are relinouished by
the retreating Germans. This mea ms
seeds and tools. lumber. glass and thou
sands of cargoes of the material of re-
Mobilization.
In stricken France alone it is esti-
mated that fully six hundred thousand
persons are suffering from tuberculosis
as a result of the trench warfare Mil
lions Of men and women and children
within the borders of Russia and Poland
are hopeless and comfortless. To bring
relief 10 misery. to restore communities
to take care of the wounded of our own
armies. soon to be somewhere in France.
would require that the American Rec
Cross be carried to a degree of organl-
cation never before seen. For so gl-
eantic a mission of mercy as here con-
templated probably S500.o0o.000 would
not be too great a sum.
story the Gables Are Telling.
The general nature of the task before
the Red Cross has been indicated. But
no absolute budget can he made for it.
To give a concrete idea of these real
and present needs: The American Red
Cross has representatives in France
acting in cooperation with the French
government officials. a recent cable
from them asked immediate shipment
of fifty more ambulance transport sec
tions (having a total of 1850 cars).
merely to replace those that have been
destroyed in France. But we shall need
to organize many new ambulance sec
tions. calling for thousands of auto
mobiles and trucks.
That was only one item. They asked
for five sanitary trains. each with its
staff of doctors and nurses. a few
more things wanted at once were:
5000 stretcher bearers.
5000 nurses.
400. 600 pairs of woollen socks.
100000 blankets.
10000 kilos Of quinine.
10000 kilos OF cod liver oil.
10000 metres of oilcloth. etc.
These were only immediate urgent
needs. They do not begin to measure
the total that will be needed as the war
goes on. Other cablegrams like that
will keep coming right along.
And this Red Cross work will not be
pure charity In the districts rsv=sec
by retreating Germans seeds. machin-
cry. animals. buildings. &c. are needed
merely to enable these people to begin
again the processes of self-support.
This will amount to adding just SO
much man power to the French army
succoring their stricken sections Will
have to be done to the neglect OF the
army.
Army of Million to Care For.
Within few months we shall have
an army of million and a navy of onq
hundred and fifty thousand men. They
must be cared for. We must provide
doctors. nurses. ambulances and sup
plies of every sort.