El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-02-08
GEN. PERSHING STARTS RED
CROSS CAMPAIGN WITH VIM
Presents Is Applications With Enthusiastic Address al
First Christian Church; Society Adds Nearly lOVO
Names at Mass Meeting; DR.. W. L. Brown, Chair
man; Major Reno and Miss Dietrich Speak

Red Cross society, said Gen felsIlllier
And there are many , reSso a,s-,eHia1ce
am. 1 Will tell you little experience
7 had and also the men under my Soln.
mand in Mexico had at the hahus u nc
Red Cross recently had receINeu d
letter from Miss Borden, VINO Is an az: az
tive worker for the Red Cross, saying
that the Red Cross had oeen nelplns
many soldiers across the Alistl'tlc, - ~
they were so far away that she "ahtsI
10 DO something nearer nome NhiSH
would awaken the enthusiasm OF the
American people toward the Red Cross
society She suggested that something
he done for our forces IN Mexico Wn l
,,-o,,ld wake M the people She asked
me 10 suggest something that the
Makes Up Comfort List
well. we didn't need anythins, out
7 thought I would just help the tLlhS
along and got up a list, naming pipes
and tobacco. bandana handkerchlels-
pocket knives, packages Of suck cslnus;;
the old fashioned kind, and Jam ana
rnarnlaIade and 1 sent II TO her she
took me literally. The Red Cross made
comfort bags and in every one there
was everything on the list that nae
sent in. Every soldier under my com
mand had comfort bag ana theE must
How They Raised the Tree.
Well lust about this time, one OF the
newspaper correspondents with the
what are you going to do about Christ
rnas2' I hadn't thought OF doing any
thing but I said to him. w hat Is the
biggest Christmas tree YOU nave ever
heard Off He said that there was one
in CHICAGO once that was zoe feet high
7 told him we were going 70 have a
higher one. So I got busy and sent up 70
Fl Paso, where know a lot OF people
and got some electric lights and Tx
rures 10 light the tree. II this wash
successful / intended 10 turn on the
headlights Of a lot Of army trucks
q arranged everything around the
tree 10 represent seven stars. one Tor
each regiment and ali representing the
star of Bethlehem I also arranged for
t/e soldiers 10 sing Christmas carols
] want 70 ask you If YOU ever heard
soldiers sing Christmas carols2 If you
haven't. vou want 10 hear them. Il you
ever get the chance And then we were
all TO recire the Lords prayer
Each Man Gets His Bag.
When the time for the Christmas
celebration came we all marched 10
our respective places and eacn man
got a Red Cross comfort bag contain
ing the articles which I had mentioned
to Miss Borden. We didn't hold this
on Christmas, because of
The big storm. but We had our Christ
mas celebration on December % The !
chaplain opened the ceremony with
PRAYER We sang carols and the hymn
then Santa Claus came up on the motor
trucks He had about 80 assistants and
they were dressed up in every peculiar
costume they could obtain Some were
dressed as Mexican senOritas and some :
as Mormon bellies
Was Unique Celebration.
1T was distinctly prohibition
Christmas celebration and believe
that the men enjoyed il more and VIII
remember Il longer than any Christ
mas celebration they have ever had in
their lives We had 4 lot OF side at
fractions also during the celebration.
The negro regiments produced col
ored minstrel and off in a corner the
some Of The soldiers had a barbecue
Gifts Make Soldiers Happy.
You could 20 around among the
soldiers after the Red Cross comfort
bags We're distributed and you could
near a soldier say. Well. bunkie. what o
answer a pipe and tobacco or some !
thing else Il would have done your Z
heart good 10 have seen their pleasure !
If the Red Cross hadn't done anything p
else in It's existence. it did enough for :
he soldiers in Mexico at Christmas .
me. 7 want 10 compliment It heartily. (
Starts off Membership List. ;
Tonight I want TO start this cam I
Ds gn with a few applications for mem z
bership I have obtained 7 was with a
party Of friends and got all Of them Q
to join They are Mr. and Mrs. ". " =
Turney. r F. Burgess, Nj and Mrs. A. 4
P Coles, Mr. and Mrs. l. :. Stewart. 9
Mr.. and Mrs J 2 Williams. Mr. and
Mrs Z. T White
Japan has 1,SG0. 600 members in its
Red Cross. This doesn't mean that they
wear uniform. but they work for II. /
Japan's society has a surplus OF s15,-
0o0 coo.
Important As Carrying Rifles. :
While the United States is talking
so much about preparedness II is just /
as important as carrying rifles TO build
up the Red Cross. Do not wait until
a war comes. Build il mp now and look
far enough into the future 10 have
things in readiness for whatever comes
up hope we viii rot have war. but
II We do we must be ready FOR H.
FL Paso has moro soldiers than any
other CITY in the country and IL should
40 its share toward building up the
Red Cross and I make a personal ap-
peal 10 all Of YOU to join the society"
Gen. Pershimg received an ovation
when he appeared in the meeting and
his remarks were VociferOuSly ap-
plauded.
DIR. Brown Tells OF Chapters Work.
DR.. W. J. Brown. chairman Of the FL
PasO chapter, opened the meeting and
gave brief history Of the Fl PasO :
organization He said 200 comfort bags
had been sent 70 the troops in Mexico
Il n.
Texas infantry. had been assisted and
that comfort and entertainment had
been given soldiers. confined in the
base hospital At Fort Bliss. In the last
few months. he SAID, the local chapter
has spent s1195 on the base hospital
features DR.. Brown
-cmplimented Mrs Donna klugel. DR.. :
Ida Bishop. Miss Grace Logan. Mrs Ben !
F. jenkins and the other workers or
he local organization.
Mai. Reno illustrates address,
Maj William W Reno. medical corps
u the United States army. gave an in
.eresting talk on Red Cross work and I
he work of the medical department in
,ase Of war. He illustrated his ad-
iress with a chart showing how the
medical department OF an army and the
Red Cross care for wounded on battle
fields through its field hospitals. base
hospitals ambulance companies and 9TH
.r departments He gave q brief his
DRY Of the American Red Cross and
he international organization which
vas instituted by the Geneva conven-
ion in 1864. Mai. Reno appealed to Fl
'asoans TO JON the society
II PasO Must JphOld Reputation.
1t is essential that the Red Cross
.et the greatest assistance of the peo- I
lie for the work il must carry on"
Mai Penn 1.anoovaS every one Z