Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-16
Colonel Reosovs,t's Keen Analysis.

In his address at Lincoln, Nebraska,
Thursday, Theodore Roosevelt gave
striking reasons why the Red Cross
should have the support and assistance
Of every loyal American. In part he
said:
The most important thing is to send
abroad at the earliest possible moment
a great fighting army. Second only to
the army in the work Of winning this
war comes our Red Cross. Indeed the
importance of this work is so great that
the President Of the United States has
set apart next week-from June 1925
as a period for sacrifice and unselfish
generosity. a week in which the whole
American people will be asked to join
in raising funds to enable. our Red
Cross to perform it's vast and indis-
pensable duties in this war.
The President has also commits
stoned several of the ablest business
men of the country as War Council
Of the Red Cross, to administer this
service on behalf of a stricken world.
This War Council tells us that fund
Of s1Co, 900 must be raised at once in
order to meet even the most urgent
needs.
Here, indeed, is summons to every
Z me ricar. It is an enormous sum OF
money; but what comfort can we take
in Withholding that Or any other sum
Of money if it is needed to relieve the
suffering Of OUR OWN SONS or the
sons Of our allies who are fighting for
all that makes life worth living?
Into our Red Cross without stint
~, hoe ut al nfn two ~
Thanksgiving that we are permitted to
join in this great service to ell man
kind. Our soldiers and sailors will 90
their part without finching; we may
rest assured Of their courage and fidcl-
ity. The Rcd Cross offers to Us who
are not allowed to fight. the oDportun-
it, for sacrifice and for help.
ave little realize what is before US.
Our own sons and brothers will soon be
going into battle. They will be 5000
miles from home, in a land already
wasted by war, a land threatened by
famine, land smitten by disease. They
tell us that in many cases today the
wounds Of soldiers in France must be
tied up with newspapers for want Of
the necessary surgical bandages. When
cur own men are wounded-as they
surely viii! be in great numbers-are we
going to allow them 70 suffer yet more
because we fail to provide those things
which can at least mitigate distress?
Surely not! But we must do it in ad-
vance. If we wait it may be too late.
Do il now!
Our Red Cross must not only care
for the shattered bodies Of our wounded
men: il alone can become foster par
ent to them in the trying conditions
they are sure to face when they are
convalescent from wounds or recover
ing from exhaustion. We shall soon
have an army of a million soldiers.
When they go to France they must
have homes in which to rest and to be
cared for and to recover. The generos-
ity of our whole people must make it
possible for our Red Cross to provide
for that.
IN no previous war have the inno-
cent non-combatants had to bear so ter
rible share Of its physical suffering
And it is through our Red Cross that
we can show to the nations Of the world
how the great heart of the American
people goes out to them in their dis
tress.
"France-proud, brave, bleeding from
CHASTITY wounds, needs US serely Tu-
herculosis is raging throughout her
land. Fifteen hundred Of her towns and
villages have been RACED to the ground
by the calculated barbarity of the in
vaders. Millions of her people are
homeless and starving, bereft even Of
the barest covering for their bodies, Of
stoves. Of utensils with which to cook
or eat, Of agricultural implements, Of
animals-indeed Of the simplest Gle
ments of civilization. And to us alone
can these people come for help: we
alone have the abundance with which
to supply their direst needs.
ITO Russia, too, we must reach out
our helping hand. We little know what
she has suffered and is suffering. Rus
eia. long ohedient to autocracy has not
flnched in this conflict. Her people
have had to struggle not only to free
the world from autocracy but to make
.heir own a land Of liberty Russia
needs all we can do to strengthen her
courage and to make her feel that we
are indeed behind her Our armies can
do little for her. Our Red Cross alone
can take into Russia the message Of
hope, of help, of confidence which she
SO terribly peeds. The message must
be practical. It must carry deeds and
not merely words: and 1t should be
carried at once. Proba bly, never before
were so many people in distress and
agony as in Russia at this very hour.
We can take no more vital step toward
winning this war than to put renewed