The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-17
Red Cross Undertakes to Care
for the Dependents of Sol.
diers and Sailors.
PREPARE FOR A LARGE Task
mot Work Of Charity, but Most Sa.
cred Duty to See That They Lack
for No Comfort" Says
~ Director Lies,
By CHARLES LEE BRYsoN.

ChicagO.-Many IN American SOL
der and sailor will fight with infinitely
stronger spirit in this war for the
knowledge that the American Red
Cross is standing firm between those
he leaves ut home, and the grim spec.
ter Of want. For the announcement has
gone forth from Washington that the
families of fighting men are to be I'm.
der the protection Of the great hui
manitarian arm of the government.
The whole world knows of the work
the Red Cross has done in caring for
the sick and wounded in war, relieving
the distress Of the victims Of fire and
food, earthquake, famine and tornado
in civil disaster, and organizing base
hospitals for the army and navy. But
few realize that while all this was be.
ing done, preparation was under way
to look after the loved ones whom the
fighting men will leave at home.
When the United States troops were
at the Mexican border the Red Cross
found it necessary to make provision
for the families of many Guardsmen
who had left dependents at home. This
made plain what must be done in case
an army Of million men should be
called abroad, and with characteristic
Red Cross fOrehandedness a plan was
at once formulated. So far as possible,
the war department will choose men
who have no dependents; but in spite
Of everything many married man,
many son whose mother depends on
him, and many others to whom rela.
tives look for support, will go to the
front. 1t is these who are left behind
that will be watched over by the Red
Cross.
Department Of Family Relief.
To safeguard those who may need
our care, the Red Cross has estab.
lished, under the director general OF
civilian relief, a new department called
that Of family relief. 1t has called tc
the head Of this department Eugene T
Lies, for many years general superil
lclluclI VI lllc OuItSu OuuIltlSS VI ClIi
cago, a man Of wide experience and
ripe judgment.
Mr.. Lies was one of those who at.
tended conference of national and
division officers Of the Red Cross
called at Chicago by John J. O'Connor:
director Of the central division, and al
this conference Mr.. Lies outlined his
policy. Later at the National Confer.
ence Of Charities at Pittsburgh, Mr..
Lies enlarged upon this subject. He
made it very plain that it is a labor of
love, and in no sense of charity, that
the Red Cross has undertaken.
1--WE must reEoember," said Mr.. Lies,
shat there is not the faintest shadow
Of Charity in its usual meaning, at.
tached to this work we are undertak.
ing. If there Is want among the fami-
lies of our soldiers and sailors, it is
not because they have been idle or
wasteful, or improvident, or that they
have been in anywise to blame. Rather
1t is because they have done the finest
and the nobIest thing possible, and
have given to their country those to
whom they have looked for support
and protection.
eve go to them, not as doing them
charity, but as expressing our gatitude
to them for what they have done-as
a duty we owe to those whom they
have given to fight our battles. Look
Ing at it in this light, we can see how
little we can afford to permit any one
Of these to suffer because of the noble
thing they have done.'
Task 4 Big One.
The officers Of the Red Cross have
shown large grasp of the situation.
They realize the task that will be
theirs. This is shown in part of Mr..
Lies Pittsburgh talk, in which he said
that very soon there will be 100000
National Guarlsmen in the field, and
that "by January next it is altogether
possible that there will be under arms
about 2,5OOOOO men in all branches Of
the service.
eve must prepare for a large task,
to be executed through the civilian re-
lief committee Of the various Red
Cross chapters. These committees
should have carefully chosen members,
some, at least, of whom have experi-
ence in social work."
It is not merely as q feeding and
clothing agency that the Red Cross
proposes to act toward these depend
ents, as Mr.. Lies points out, but as a
sort of "next friend" in all troubles
such as wages, insurance, difficulties
with landlords, Illness, accident and
the moral welfare of children.
Eve would show ourselves unfit to
enjoy the blessings Of democracy says
Mr.. Lies, IF, while sending our SOL
diers to the front to fight the enemy,
we permitted their families at home to
fight want, disease, and moral dangers
alone. It would look like willful pun
ishment for the sacrifices made by
them.
"Only by getting close to them
through friendly visitation, sympa-
thetic inquiry neighborliness and intel
liSept Interpretation Of home condi.