El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-12-20
Origin of the Red
Cross Christmas Seal
STARTED NINE YEARS AGO AS INDI-
vIouAL VENTURE BY MISS BIssELL
SINCE THEN NEARLY $5,ooo,oOo HAS
BEEN RAISED.

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Nine years ago Miss Emily r. Bissell,
OF Wilmington, Delaware, a well known
social worker, conceived the idea of the
Red Cross Christmas Seal. Miss Bissell
know from personal experience hat the
only way to fight tuberculosis was by
means of a popular campaign OF education,
and she knew this could not be carried
on without money.
She got the idea of raising this money
AZ christmas time, when the spirit of hui
mainly is at It's height, from an article
by Jacob Riis, in which he described the
stamps used by the Norwegians in their
fight against the disease. II the Nor.
wegians could raise money in this way.
Miss Bisseh argued, why not the Ameri.
cans?
she consulted her friends, secured all
the publicity she could and launched the
movement. 1t proved to be a wonderful
success, and thousands of Christmas mar.
cells went out bearing the gay little Seals.
People wede delighted with them. They
added to the appearance of their gifts and
they liked the idea of helping a big cause
in this unique way.
BY Christmas 81 5000 had been raised.
MISS Bissell was elated. She saw a great
future for the little Sealshtub, sdaheasncE
future for the little Seals, but she had diff.
ficulty in making others see it. She an.
pealed to the American Red Cross to take
over the venture, enlarge 1t and conduct
the sale on a vast scale. The Red Cross
authorities at first could not see how they
could make this a part of their national
program, but Miss Bissell proved to them
that fighting tuberculosis by means of
harmless and attractive Christmas stamps
was worthy peace-time propaganda.
With some misgiying and at a slight
cost the Red Cross printed the Seals for
the second years campaign. The result
more than justified Miss Bissel's expec.
%tations. for $l35, 600 worth of Seals was
sold in 1908. The Christmas Seal became
a national institution. The management
of the sale was turned over to the Ma
tional Association for the Study and Pre-
%yention of Tuberculosis and each year
since then sales have increased by leaps
and bounds.
Last year loo, 900, 200 stamps were sold,
bringing the total sales for the nine years
up to $4,300,000. This year the 800, 00O.-
600 mark has been set as a goal and the
American Red Cross and the National
Association are striving to raise the re-
cord breaking fund of $4,000, 900 with
which to fight consumption.
The policy on which the sale is conduct
ed is to. give the community in which tho
money is raised the benefit of its own eff
forts. About 80 per cent of the funds
therefore remain in the community and go
to state and local antituberculosis work,
providing propaganda to prevent the spread
of the disease, maintaining Senatorial and
visiting nurses to educate the public and
to care for the afflicted. The Red Cross
takes the remaining 10 per cent to meet
the actual expenses Of the campaign.
Don't forget that every Seal you buy
will help to carry out our program of ma
tional physical preparedness is the ap-
peal of the workers. "This year the
work is intended especially for the pro.
lection and care of soldiers