Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-02
COMMISSION GOES TO
ITALY FOR RED CROSS
Chairman Davidson Tells
What Is Beng Done by
Red Cross, and How

P. Dawson, chairman Of the Red Cross
War Council, announces today the dis
patch Of special Red Cross Commits
sion to Italy. The purpose of the
commission is to advise how American
Red Cross activity can best be exerted
to meet needs of the suffering soldiers
and the civilian population of Italy.
This js the fourth Red Cross Commits
sion to 90 to Europe. The first, head
ed by Major Grayson Mp. Murphy,
vice-president of the Guaranty Trust
Company, New York, was sent to
France. The second, headed by DR..
Frank s. Billings, of Chicago, went to
Russia. The third, headed by H. w.
Anderson, of Richmond, Virginia, is
now on its way to Roumania
This, the fourth such commission,
will be headed by George F. Baker, Jr.,
vice-president of the First National
Bank of New York City. With Mr..
Baker 60 John R. Moron, president,
Atlas Portland Cement Company; DR..
Thomas w. Huntington, president of
the American Surgical Association; DR..
Victor G. Heiser, of the United States
Public Health Service; and Nicholas
F. Brady, Central Trust Company,
New York
Accompanying the commission also.
is Chandler r. Post, professor of
Greek and Fine Arts at Harvard Uni
versity, ard one of the leading author
tiles in this country on Italy.
Through the American Academy in
Rome, it has been arranged that the
commission to Italy will have detailed
to assist it, Gorham Phillips Stevens,
director of the school of fine arts, and
Charles Epson Clark, Of Yale Universi-
ty, director of the School of Classical
Studies, both of whom are now resi-
dent in Rome.
To enable this commission to meet
the more urgent needs which may be
found to exist, an emergency appropria-
tion of 100000 has been made by the
Red Cross War Council. Other work in
Italy will depend upon the report of
this commission as to how such efforts
can best be made.
In announcing the dispatch of the
italian Commission, Mr.. Dawson au,
thorizes the following statement:
''When the Red Cross War Council |
asked the country to contribute $780, |
100000 to war fund, we, of course,
could not know how much would be
given and, therefore, what area Red
Cross activities would cover We
knew that there was such great need in
all the countries which are suffering |
from this war, that 500, 100000, or
ten times that much, would not cover
them. There was work of overwhelm-
ing magnitude to do.
"If the American people had con
tributed only a smah sum to the war
fund, Of course, the money would have
had TO be devoted almost exclusively to |
the care of our own troops, for that
cause must continue to be the subject |
of first and supreme attention by the
American Red Cross. We shall spare |
nothing to be in a position to cooper |
ate in every possible way with our
Army and Navy in caring for our own
men.
But the response of the American
people has been so generous that we
hope, in addition to taking care of our
own soldiers and sailors, to be able to |
carry message of practical aid and
encouragement TO all of our allies who |
are fighting our battles in Europe.
''It will be impossible to do anything
more than to extend aid of superior
urgency in these countries But every
cent that is spent must go intelligent
ly and efficiently in directions where
it will do the maximum of good.
We are sending these commissions,
composed of the ablest men that we
could enlist (and no one, as vet, has
refused an appointment to these com
except for compelling rea-
sons), in order that we may act on
first-haud information gathered by
American experts.
"Most of the members of these com
90 as volunteers, in a majority
of cases paying their own expenses.
In the case of the French and Russian
Commissions, all expenses have been
paid by private subscriptions, and they
are thus not charge on Red Cross
funds
"This is but q part of the wonder
full way in which so many men of
great administrative and technical
ability are placing their services un-
reservedly at the disposal of the nation
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