Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-07-20

large city or a county-sometIme several coun-
ties.
The chapter Is governed. on a smaller scale,
very much as the Red Cross as Y whole Is GOV
erned. II has its chairman and other officers Its
board OF directors and Its executive committee In
whose hands the active work Is carried on. In
large chapters an executive secretary usually does
most OF the active work OF the executive commit
tee
Ench chapter Is divided into section for milf
tary relief and section for civilian relief much
Ms the national organization is divided. And each
section has fits committees to carry out the various
activities
The section for military relief has Its commit
tees Red Cross; instruction: hospital sup
plies warehousng and shipping; supplies for
fighting men, and special committees for such
work as organizing hospital companies. sanitary
detnchments, surgical sections aud supply depots.
The section for civilian relief has Its commit
tees on: Csre OF families OF soldiers and sailors;
relief for noncombatants care of discharged sol
diers and sailors; training In volunteer civilian
relief, and special committees as needed on local
disaster, care of refugees and other kindred sub
Jects.
How the Red Cross operates is perhaps best
told by citing some of the concrete examples of its
work To begin with. two Of the most recent In
stances OF civilian disaster relief take the lorna
does which devasted Newcastle and New Albany,
Ind. at Intervals OF about two weeks
When Newcastle was laid in ruins with the loss
OF Of lives and several hundred persons
mnde homeless and thrown out of work. the pres
ent writer. learning the situation through tele-
graph and long distance telephone messages TO
the press notified Division Director John J. O'Con-
nor OF Chicago. Within ten minutes Mr.. OConnor
was calling for Red Cross nurses. surgeons.
trained Investigators. and arranging with Wash
ngton for Whatever funds might be needed to
start the work OF resculng the survivors, feeding
and ham fhau efft bae m md
collecting, identifying and buryng the dead. All
night long, from his room In Chicago he put
ting this that and the other agency to work Mt the
end OF wire aud the dawn of the next day
order coming out of chaos
Then. and not before. Mr.. o'Connor took train
for the scene and when he arrived, found his
ders being carried out He took personal charge.
dinnapolIs and other nearby chapters. and the
work OF rehabilitation went swiftly forward.
While the director stiIl at Newcastle he
received message that even worse disaster
had befallen New Albany. Again sending orders
by wire for surgeons nurses, Investigators and
supplies he took train for the OF the latest
and again he arrived to find the system
already at work. The living cared for and
work found for them. the dead buried. and all
with the least possible delay and disqualification
Of the daily life Of the community.
The June number OF the Red Cross Magazine
q
work accomplished.
The work OF organizing base hospitals Illus
trates the forehanded methods OF the Red Cross
With clarity Of vision for which the country
now hlesses him, Colonel Kean called last autumn
for the Red Cross to organize for the army and
navy with the least possible delay 30 base hospital
units. He did not want hospital bulldings-what
he wanted was 30 units of surgeons. dentists.
,pothecaries. orderles. and assistants with
M the cots mattresses. bedding, laboratory appa-
-atus. handages. splints, surgical shirts, bed
gowns and the thousands of things that must be
had before single wounded man Gun he properly
AIRED for Each of these 30 base hospital units
was 70 be enrolled and trained. all their perma-
ient equipment bought. and all their consumable
supplies bought or made. boxed. labeled and
stored SO that che whole could be shipped by train
'r steamer notice Of day or two
Instantly. all over the country. the division d.
-ectors passed The word to their chapters and the
Tarlous committees took up the work Of forming
,ase hospital units. Under the supervision of
Washington itself the surgeons and nurses were
hosen and enrolled Purchasing agents bought
Il the lowest possible price the equipment. Un-
Ter each chapter engaged In the work commit
ee on hospital supplies got standard patterns and
pecIHcations from the department. and seq
hundreds and thousands OF to sewing
he bandages. woand dressings and hospital gar
nents
All that long before the United States