Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-30

1915, may be had when 1t Is stated
that during this 10-year period it con-
Quoted over rs relief operations follow
ing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
fires, foods, famines. mine explosions
and wars in various parts Of the world
and that the total amount received and
and expended, including donated sup
plies. was not less than s13,5e0.0 900.
OF the tremendous work of the
American Red Cross in the relief of
suffering due to the present European
war it is not possible to write ade-
quately at present.
Perhaps the greatest work of the
American Red Cross during this war
has been it's remarkable success in
conquering the typhus epidemic in Ser
bia and Montenegro. Two eminent sur
geons of the Red Cross lost their lives
in this heroic fight for the sake of the
people of an alien country, DIR. James
F. Eonnelly of Brooklyn. n V. and
DR.. Ernest p. Magruder of Washing
ton, D. c.
The Spirit Of the Red Cross
The Red Cross is the most splendid
expression Of human instinct ever wit
messed.
The most creditable feeling in the
human breast is the desire to help an
other. The Red Cross is this feeling
raised to it's ninth power. 1t is the HUI
mainly of a nation speaking. 1t is the
utterance of the kindness of the world.
Organization is the device of efticien-
cy. Organization made the trusts.
makes government. makes war. The
Red Cross is the principle of organic
alton applied to the benevolent impulse
Of the W orld.
The Red Cross is humanity doing
by modern methods and in a modern
way for good. as much as other organ
izations are doing for profit or for evil.
The Red Cross appeals to the imagi-
nation. You would help the victim Of
an accident before your eyes. Through
the Red Cross YOU help the innumer-
able victims of calamity and mischief
throughout the world
Two great passion groups are con-
tending for the world, the White Pas
sions for greed, power and prestige.
and the Red Passions. which are the
humanities. In the end it will he the
humanities that will extinguish war
statecraft or alliances, and even world
government itself, would lack compel
lirE power. Ard just at present the
Fed Cross is the finest forthputting
of the huma mites
The Red Cross is the finest symbol
of the common denorninator of al, re-
ligions. 1t is not sectarian. 1t knows
no creed. Its benevolence is as wide as
that Of Gods. Who is the Father of
all men.
The world has been cursed BY long
distance evil, by men doing things
through agencies. corpora tons and
states which no individual would do
himself Thus are the nightiest crimes
OF history committed. The Red Cross
is vast organization for the doing
or long-distance good. 1t is the most
redoubtahle instrument which can he
found to resist the gigantic imperson-
al forces that afflict the world
l. The Red Cross is the one organiZa-
ton that cannot possibly be too great
nor too strong. A nation may become
so powerful as to he q menace A cor
noration may need to be curbed ANY
institution NAV grow too rank Rut
rot this. For" said Bacon. "the de-
sire Of mower in excess caused angels
to fall: the desire Of knowledge in ex-
cess caused man to fall: hut in char
itv there is no excess: Neither angel nor
mnn come in danger by IT,
The Ped Cross brings to ALI man
kind the subtlest luxury which is the
luxury Of doing good. There is no hui
man being so degraded that he. does
ont enjoy this.
Many are deferred from doing good
because it implies an assumption of
superior virtue. But through the Red
Cross YOU can do good without adver-
tisement
We cannot all believe alike. we can
not all unite in politics, we cannot all
speak with the tongue of angels, nor
write persuasively, nor contribute great
sums ofsmoner. nor make war but.
through the Red Cross, we can all help.
The Rcd Cross Enriches Augusta
The latent dignity and moral worth
of the American community was never
more strikingly illustrated than now in
the community OF which Augusta is a
part. A supreme victory over self. is
expressed in the contribution of close
to $4,000 by these communities with
! in the past two weeks. and largely
within a week, to the Red Cross.
Apart from the service which the
Red Cross fund now over subscribed,
will render those engaged in the Eu-
ropean war. high spiritual valuation is
to be put on this achievement. There
was never such union of all classes
as that achieved under the banner of
the Red Cross in these recent days.
| Liberty, equality &nd fraternity, had
fine expression in 1916, but never were
community interest and team work in
evidence on SO grand and broad a scale.
Lines of race are ignored; loyal Ger
mans give as freely as loyal Yankees.
1t is the spirit that saves and inspires.
Without the spirit of fraternity and
humanity such amazing results would
be impossible. It's the fellow feeling
that makes us wondrous kind. Hun
dreds of thousands of lives will be
saved by angels of mercy whom the
Red Cross movement visualizes.
1t is fitting, however, that we should
analyze what has happened in our own
community in these recent days. And
what is our own community? A har-
monious whole made up of different
nationalities, and men and women and
children of many languages which we
,ou understand as at Pentecost Eff .