The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-10

Let US unite IN prayer 70 ASK GuC
good Lord for the end OF this terrible
and we shall soon have victory and
peace.
with best regards.
"T. D e'faye."
The second tea, given at the home
OF Mrs. Burton Harris, Melted the sum
of nearly $50. The third tea netted
about $45, and was given by the Fine
Mrs. j. d. Farrand. On March 5 OF
the present year a war benefit enter
tainment was given by the local assoc
citation at the Orpheum theater. re-
sulting in proceeds of $226. Of which
about $195 is clear. It is from this
fund that the association is drawing
for its supplies at present. and 1t Is
hoped to get enough this spring to
finance the association for Its work
through the summer months.
Magnitude of This Work.
Twelve hundred hospitals count on
the Paris distributing bureau Of the
National Surgical Dressings committee
for dressings and the average daily
output is between 10000 and 10000.
There arr, about 100 volunteer workers
at the Paris bureau, and about fifty
women Ia the paid OuVrior, as well as
five or six workrooms outside, doirg
machine work free Of charge. Although
the bureau seods out only what Is ask
ed for, it IS never able to supply all
that is required. The hospitals nesi
it's aid now more than they have ever
done before. Material is giving out
and is becoming more and more ex-
pcnhive: the price of food is very high
and yet the wounded soldiers must be
fed and abundantly fed If they are to
get well. ...r
The Paris bureau not only supplies
the hospitals Of that country, but Bel
gian hospitals and Russian hospitals
on the French front; French, Serbian
and Roumanian hospitals in the east.
The fact is, a colossal piece OF work
has been undertaken. which must be
done intelligently and very well, and
which must be continued until peace is
signed and the last wounded soldier
has gone back to his home.
Offers Aid to Red Cross.
An answer to the question asked by
many: why do not the local and all
such associations turn their efforts to
work for America, to be ready for
eventualities?" is found in the follow
ing from the March bulletin Of the
National Surgical Dressings commit
tee:
For two and one-half years we Of
the Surgical Dressings committee have
been working heart and soul to do
our bit for the wounded soldiers-by
sending ever-increasing supplies of
dressings to be distributed among the
hospitals Of the allies. We have made
for ourselves tremendous field of use-
fitness. thanks particularly to the eff
ficent methods Of our foreign distribut-
ing bureaus, which see to 1t that our
supplies go promptly and without
waste or duplication to the hospitals
needing them at the moment.
THE ever-threatening possibility Of
the United States being drawn into
war is daily approaching an actual
fact, and may be so before this bulletin
is off the press. Once again we state
our policy in case Of war, a policy
which we believe ID unanimously up
held by our state chairmen and by our
local committees, in a word, by us all.
The National Surgical Dressings Com
mittee of America, should need arise,
stands ready to cooperate with the
American Red Cross In every way
within its power. Here is reprinted the
formal acknowledgment Of our offer
Dear Mrs. willard chairman Of the
committeel:
February s. 1917.
at beg to acknowledge your letter
Of Feb. 3, in which you affirm that the
National Surgical Dressings committee
stands ready to cooperate in every
possible way with the American Red
Cross. .. 49, q
"'This action on your part gives me
the greatest possible SATISFACTION and /
am sure that our central committee will
feel the same way The Surgical
Dressings committee has been so well
organized and SO effective in its Eu-
ropean work that 1t can be Of the great
est help to the Red Cross in time Of
need and help the Red Cross to carry
out its duties. which might prove to
be exceedingly heavy. To have your
organization make this offer will, I
am sure, have a very good effect on
many other European war relief or
Will you kindly express
the thanks Of the Red Cross to your
committee?
Most sincerely yours. I.
ELIOT WADSWORTH,
Acting Chairman
Foreign Needs Different.
The March bulletin continues: I'VE
would urge every committee to give
special attention to the following de-
tailed information: All Of the standard
dressings of the National Surgical
Dressings committee and Of the Red
Cross are not identical. Why. since
for our own country, law requires us
to conform to Red Cross patterns,
do we not adopt them to the exclu-
sion Of all others? Because we are
making dressings to be used by the
foreign surgeon, doctor. and nurse.
They are In the war, not spectators;
they know from actual experience what
they want, what their trained and semi
trained helpers will understand and
can handle quickly. We give them
what they ask for, not what We in
America think they ought to want.
Ninety per cent OF our dressings are
handled by the foreign surgeon. not the
American volunteer abroad. That Is
the reason. And we aim to go so far
in giving them what they want, with
out questioning the why" that we
urge surgeons to send in to our foreign
bureaus samples Of their needs, so
that we may have our volunteer work.
ers in those bureaus make up the
specialties from the gauze. absorbent
cotton. muslin and other materials that
national headquarters is always APP
pealing for and shipping to the bu-
reaus in bulk.
''In reply to very definite questions,
the American Red Cross at WsAhing-
ton advises us that the following
dressings as made by our committees
today are acceptable for home use
change: Bandages. oakum