The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1917-09-05
The Lexington Red
Cross Convention.

| The first State Convention of the Red
Cross was held in Lexington, Kentucky
August 22nd and 23rd and was attended
by more than 500 delegates from various
Chapters in the State. Every section
was represented. All of the sessions
were characterized by great enthusiasm
and the deepest interest AT the begin
ing of the war Kentucky did not have a
single Red Cross Chapter. 1t has Lar
Chapters now and every single one of
them are enthusiastic working organiza-
ton. In the reports from the Chapters
many OF the rural counties reported that
as the result OF weeks membership
campaign more than 1000 joined. In
Shelby county 2,loo members were Sc
cured in the county in a week.
The Red Cross is confronted BY the
largest undertakings, not only to allevi.
ate the suffering and wounded on the
battle front, but to administer to the
comfort of our own soldies and to help
the stricken in Belgium, France and
Servia. 1t is proposed to have five labor
atory cars in this county so located that
one of them can be at any cantonment in
twenty-four hours in case of an epidemic
OF any kind of disease among the soldi-
ers. Canteens will be established in
France in the second line trenches, one
tor every division of 81 900 men. There
hot coffee, tea and lemonade will be
served the fighters in the first line tren-
ches, i'll place of the stale water they now
have to drink. In France there are 900.
ooo cases OF tuberculosis The Red Cross
will put an army of physicians and SAM
tary experts i'll that country not only to
save France from the white plague, but
to protect our own troops there from the
disease In France in l9I6 the mortal
ity among infants was very great Tween
ty four children under one year old in
every 600 died while the birth rate was
only eight in every thousand. This hor
rible condition is due to the lack of care
OF the mothers i'll this stress of war and
to improper food and improper attention.
The American Red Cross will devote its
best efforts to save the babies and the
mothers as we'll. The organization for
home service will not only look after
the boys in the cantonments, but will
look after the families of all soldiers
whether in France or in this country.
Word was brought from Washington
that there would be great suffering in
France this coming winter unless the
Red Cross met the conditions with ,soO,-
900 WOODEN sweaters and other wooden
garments
The great things that the Red Cross
can do to make it possible to win the
war, created profound impression up
on the delegates. The Red Cross has
grown from 200, 600 members when the
United States went into the war to more
than 4,OoO, 900. This however is only four
members to every hundred of our popu.
lation. Stress was laid upon the fact
that there should be at least twenty-five
per cent enrolled as members of the
Red Cross. Hardin county has less than
two per cent membership. The major
ity of men and women in this country
have no other way to express their pat
riotism and devotion to the men who
will fight our battles in France than to
become members of the Red Cross, and
for every woman who can sew or knit to
do SO. II was made plain that il was
not only pleasure and an honor to
wear Red Cross but duty to belong
There should be no shakers in this won.
derful organization, this Good Sauna
tarism" of the war. We should all be
willing to sacrifice and serve our coun-
try and nothing else should be consider.
ed until every one has done all that is
possible -Elizabethtown News.