The Butler weekly times., 1917-07-19

lneTc are uO IHOIC ~ kCACIOuS VI
Icharitable people than Americana
Ito illustrate: There is no nation on
| earth which supports so large con
Il tingent Of floating. population by
lgratuity-America's multitude 81
H[tramps. At the same time, there are
no people so wasteful as Americans
(which fact may be demonstrated by
the same illustration.
j These American traits are equally
as Characteristic Of Bates county as
4 OF the rest of the nation. Our or
j'ganized charity consists Of the main
tenance of a county home and the
work OF various local committees.
BY this latter method the burden-is
| placed upon few, and BY their mob
Hest efforts these committees cannot
overcome the defects inherent in the
method itself.
| Only in,recent years has there de-
Iveloped nationwide plan to sys-
tenlatize our charities. This consists
of the organization of the American
Red Cross on nationwide basis.
The world war is bringing this work
| of organization to quick culmina-
ton. Its results will, however, not
alone provide for the emergencies of
war. but in every local community, as
we'll as in the nation at large, it will
place our relief work on perma-
nent and systematic basis. This is
one big reason for joining the Red
Cross.
Nut the war has hastened this or
ganization because of the immediate
and almost incomprehensible- need
occasioned by the war itself. And
this is why we Should join the Red
Cross NOW. Already the American
Red Cross is in France; in Belgium,
in Armenia, in Palestine. in Russia.
But its contributions are as yet
wholly inadequate to meet the neces-
sites of the time. Such resources as
France and Russia and England have
been able to spare from the vast bus
mess of war. to minister to the suf-
ferers from its tragedies, have been
drawn upon and drained until now
they are we'll nigh exhausted. Little
Servia and Montenegro and Rou-
mania and Belgium are entirely help
less. Practically there are no able
bodied men left either among the
armies of civilian populations of these
nations. They are PROSTATE. Japan
is laboring under an enormous ma
tional indebtedness, and with teem-
ing population far out of proportion
to it's territory and resources. Re-
suit America is the nation upon
which depends the very life of the
world.
Is America equal to its duty. Will
Bates county discharge its share OF
this mighty obligation? ASSURED
LY!
But let us consider more analytical
ly the work that lies before us: In
France, the boys of sixten have been
called to the trenches. A few weeks
ago woman returning from relief
work there reported in one of our
leading magazines that 50 per cent of
the men and boys in the French
trenches have been wounded. But
still they fight. the heroes that they
are. *
No one ever imagined the casual
ties of this war In such battles as
now rage the losses are stupendous.
The regular army hospital service is
entirely inadequate, even if it were
calculated to save the desperately
wounded. 1t is an instrument of war,
not of mercy. Its purpose is to treat
the ailing. and to minister to such of
the wounded as are susceptible of be-
ing put in condition fit to be fed
again into the nav of the trenches.
But for the soldier who is lacerated
by shrapnel, for the soldier who is
disfigured by bursting shells, for the
soldier who is blinded by poisonous
gas, for the soldier whose limbs are
n,angled, for the soldier SO wrecked
that he can never again be made fit
for military service there is but one
hope. Such one, when he lies on
the field, torn and in agony, has but
one single chance to ever get back
home to those he loves and who love
him. That chance is the Red Cross.
The deft and tender hands of
Red Cross women alone can restore
him. Is not this sufficient reason for
joining the Red Cross! But there are
more:
! Twenty-four hours in the trenches,
under constant shelling, is exhaust
ing. Men 60 crazy if held there for
long periods. Consequently, they
must be often relieved and taken
away back of the lines for physical
rest aud mental recuperafion. What
will they do thenl Are they to be
left to sit or lie about in hot or rain-
soaked army campsl II they seet
Al. 4