The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-06
DIRECTOR LEPPERT MAKES ADDRESS, ON
 RED GROSS WORK
Plans for Future Work Out lined at an Enthusiastic
 Meeting at the Tutwiler
GULF DIVISION LEADS
 IN MEMBERSHIP
Reports of War Relief Fund Made by President Crawford and Other Officers of the
 Local Chapter
By DOLLY DAI.RYMPLE

By DOLLY DALRYMPLE l Red Cross workers and those inter i ested in the work filled the ballroom of
 the Tutwiler hotel almost to it's ca l pacity yesterday afternoon, when w. J. Leppert, director of the gulf division of the American Red Cross, delivered an
 address. Richard w. Massey, president of the Birmingham chapter, presided at the meeting.
 l America" was sung by the audience 1 at the direction of Prof. Robert Law renee. A report of the war relief fund
 was made by George Gordon Crawford,
 chairman of the committee on the relief
 fund Annual reports were made by
 Mrs Asa Rountree, secretary, and w. 1 H. Manly, treasurer. Following this was
 the address of MT. Leppert
 l Tt should be distinctly understood that
 the American Red Cross association is not a Woman's sewing circle; the time l has come when business men have got l to measure up to the responsibilities of 1 the stay-at-home; there are four divisions of the army. and if you don't belong TO
 one of them, you are a-slacker; either
 sign up with the liberty loan bond, food
 conservation. actual fighting on land or on sea- or the Red Cross.'
 l The vital, forceful words were used by l w. J. Leppert yesterday afternoon in
 short interview before he went on the platform in the Tutwiler ballroom, Where l a large audience of interested eager, loy- i al members of the American Red Cross 1 association was assembled.
 FORMER POSTMASTER l MT Leppert, who was formerly post
 master at Camden, accepted the impor-
 tant position he now occupies as director
 of the gulf division of the American
 Red Cross association, with headquarters
 at New Orleans few months ago, 1 and his keen vision and far-rea ching Knowledge of men and conditions has
 qualified him to amply. make the admir-
 able success he has to his credit of the | work
 | Mir Leppert is making his second tour 1 through Alabama, and north Alab anna,
 which he did not include in the first trip,
 is enjoying his wise counsel and advice
 during the present visit, which is purely of an inspirational and international na- ture.
 | Decentralization plans of the American
 Red Cross association" MT. Leppert said, l are intended primarily to get us in
 closer touch with the masses of the peo- i pie; and to do so, we've had to eliminate 1 Washington At the outbreak of the war, there were only four divisions of the Red Cross; later eight divisions were formed
 and in Chicago last July 13 divisions. In l the general scheme of decentralization
 plans, within the next 10 days every one
 of these 13 divisions will be headquarters, 1 instead of Washington being headquar- ters for all. Every chapter in every one of these divisions will be divisional headquarters
 ADDITIONAL DIVISION The realigiiment of states to take care
 of the additional divisions, said Mr. Lep- | pert, has resulted in New Orleans be- ling the headquarterS for the gulf divi- | sion, but the New Orleans chapter must | not be confounded with. or believed by | the public to be headquarters, merely | because it happens to be in the place | chosen as headquarters of the gulf divi- I sion. It is a splendidly efficient chapter,
 I may say just here, but it simply chances l to be the local chapter of the Red Cross at the point where divisional headquar- l ters have been established
 l In speaking of the tremendous increase | in work done by the Red Cross within the
 past few months. MT. Leppert said:
 Hast May there were F Red Cross orga nizations in the five states of Missls- sippi, Alabama Louisiana, Arkansas and
 Texas. with a membership of about 7C00.
 Today there are 709 organizations in these
 five states and over half a million mem I bers while in Texas alone today there are more Red Cross organizations than
 there were in the entire United States when the divisions were formed The l gulf division of the Red Cross has gone ! way ahead of all the others, in point of time and I am delighted to make this l statement, for I like to pay the people | of Inc south the tribute they so well 1 deserve in this connection. And the war lisnt responsible for it all, either, for l there is a nebular hypothesis existing in l this connection among many-which
 would surprise you-an almost total ig- norance of the fact that the war is go-
 linz on. The progress of Red Cross work ,has come about by the appreciation of its l true value; and today Red Cross work
 appeals to people from two angles-either 1 as a form of patriotism or as a-fad l | don't cai, which prompts 8 man CT woman to \ n--what we are looking to I is how to | e care of our boys over 1 there
 | .'I should \ to pay my respects to i inc RrminghA chapter of the Red Cross and the effed 6 work II mas accom-. l nIished." said r Leppert. With 600C members it loA as 1T the foundation were firm and at ling; however. the work has only just b\ un; wltn population If 15n0O0. such A Birmingham has, the Rad Cross wanA 10000 members. We want the Red Crl of Birmingham to be its pride and Joy ana we want evervbodv to be a Ii lnber with us. work i;nr for a common sood."
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