Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-15
COMMANDING OFFICER SOUTHEAST.
ERM DEPARTMENT POINTS OUT
OPPORTUNITIES IN INDUS
TRIAL WORK.
(BY LEONARD WOOD, MAJOR GENER.
AL UNITED STATES ARMY.1


can help the nation in war:
(1) BY working in industry, thereby
releasing men for the front, and
(2) BY joining the American Red
Cross.
TIE RED CROSS IN WAR.
Next TO the preparation of munitions
and recruiting the army and the navy the
most important step in getting ready for
war i To build up a Red Cross ~organiza-
ton. Vast numbers of women are now
working in the various supply establish
ments which make munitions. clothing. etc.
but the time i not yet here when women
need TO 90 into the factories to take the
place of men. But the time is here not
for the Red Cross to prepare, but to meet
the actual test of real service.
During the last few years much has been
done to prepare the American Red Cross
for the nations call. But preparedness
on Il large scale cannot be accomplished in
peace time. All that can be done i To pre-
pare a SHELTON organization capableof ex-
pansion IN war service, to draft plans of
mobilization a. any army staff would
fWfNiA ah'hi ~ W SdtutA it~tiNt iubtti
ials and supplies.
When the call comes the Red Gross must
act quickly. Ii must take care of Il vastly
increased army and navy. Therefore in
both branches ofthe nations fighting
force.
TINE FOR QUICK ACTION.
Thc declaration of a state of war with
IL. - - n
Cross musttranslate all these plans. pre-
pared during peace, intoaction. Ii must
be prepared to supplement the existing
facilities of the medical department of the
army and navy and of the medical reserve
corps.
All this work must go forward smoothly.
This expansion must take place without
any hitch in the machinery. There can he
no experimenting in war.
(, Every man and woman owes il n a duty
Ia the country to become a member of the
American Red Cross. Membership i
IA low n one dollar-Should be universal.
Instead of having a membership of 800
900. a. at present, the American Red
Gross should far exceed the 100000
membership in Japan and l.i00, 600 in
Russia and the million each in France and
England.
Membership alone does not necessarily
imply service. Ii means merely that one
helps TO support the administrative organ
~ization directing the work of the Red
Cross.
After membership there j. opportunity
for service ith the Red Gross. Every
chapter has it, workrooms and it, auxili
aries. Ii has trained instructors in the
preparation of hospital and surgical sup
plies needed here and abroad.
Many chapters have classes IN first aid
to the wounded. home care OF the sick.
home dietics and in the making of surgical
dressings. All of these are nj the aid of
their country.
WHAT THE RED CROSS NEEDS.
But what the Red Cross does need today
l. trained women for the work of military
relief. The Immediate call j. for compe-
tent nurses. A soldiers life is too pre-
cious To risk in unskillcd hands. Nurse
must largely be drawn from the hospitals
of the cities.
Women must be found TO take the places
of many nurses IN civilian hospitals. To
prepare for this emergency the Red Cross
has been conducting great training classes
for women.
In many citics-New York. Brooklyn.
Boston, Chicago. Denver and elsewhere
teaching ccntcrs Of the Red Gross for the
last two years have been turning out wom-
en- trained in the care Of the sick and in
elementary hospital duties.
In New York alone at No. 3 East Fifty
sixth street. one of these teaching %centcrs
j. now training women in this work at the
rate Of 1900 every eight weeks.
From them will largely be drawn also
the nurses aids attached to the base hos
pitals organized throughout the country.
Twenty eight of these hospitals, with 500
beds each and a complement of fifteen
nurses aids, are now ready for active ser
wee. Even the doctors and nurses at
tached TO these units have been innocu-
ulaied against typhoid and other dangers
of field service.
WORK To BIZ DONE AT HOME.
The functions of the Red Gross. how
ever. 60 far beyond service in military
hospitals. In addition tothe department Of
military relief j. the department of civil
ian relief, equally large and equally i'm
portant.
Dependents of fighting men cannot be
neglected. Red Cross committees. assisted
by expert investigators, take careof chill
dren who need aid. The needs of GONZALES
cling soldiers fro mthe front will be looked
after.