The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-10-18
ARE you COLD AND SICK,
Read What the Red Croas Necessities
Are and See What Our Soldiers;
Sick and Well, Need!

Murphy, commissioner for the Re
Cross in France, issued an order fror
his headquarters in Paris which caus
ed a "flutter Of excitement" in tn
great army Of women who wear knit
ting bags, 1t was more Of an appea
than an order, as this army doesn'
like to be ordered" 1t read: "Wan
1000, 900 Of everything knit goods t.
be in trenches ahead Of snow"
This cryptic order needs some ex
PLANTATION. II means that Colone
Grayson Murphy wanted for tn,
American soldiers in France before
the snow flies: 100000 worsted
sweaters, 1000, 900 pairs of socks, g..
10000 wristers, 100000 helmets, e.
100000 scarfs.
This was a pretty stiff order on top
Of the work which the army of women
was doing for the boys in the camps
in this country. But this order was
urgent, and SO pretty much everything
else was dropped for the time being.
The army Of American Red Cross
women went into action at once to ex-
ecute the order-went into action at
once on every hotel piazza in the
United States; in bungalows, and cot
tages, and boarding houses; in trains
and electric cars; at card parties, pink
teas, and church sociables; on the golf
links and at dances; on the rocks, and
lodges, and beaches along the coast,
and wherever women could get a
chance to knit--and chat.
All summer long the battle Of the
crochet needles and knitting needles
has been going on, and there is little
doubt but that Colonel Grayson Muir
phys order will be obeyed-filled to
the letter before snow flies in Flan-
ders. But besides this order there is a
vast amount of work to do for the
hospitals in France and for the thous-
ands Of women and children in the de-
wasted portions of France.
Conditions to be met in France this
winter are serious" says General
Pershing in cablegram, "and organ
ization of Red Cross as well as Y. M.
C. A. must be thoroughly completed
in advance. The work of Red Cross
will be for American soldiers, French
soldiers, and for deserving French
people who have suffered from the
three years of war;" =
That cablegram emphasizes Colonel
Grayson Murphy's order and gives a
clearer idea Of the magnitude of the
task ahead of the Red Cross.
New England Women Hard at Work
There is no better place to get a
clear idea of what the New England
Division is doing than in the head
quarters of the Supply Service in the
I'D Youths Companion Building, 142
Berkeley street. Here is the evidence,
or here all the currents of New Eng
and Red Cross activity meet and flow
nto two streams-one flowing into the
amps and forts Of New England, the
'ther flowing into the larger stream
hat flows from all over the country TO
lew York and thence to France.
OF Colonel Grayson Murphy's order,
he New England Division was assign.
d 100000 Of everything"-one-tenth
( the whole job.
But that was only the beginning Of
he work which New England is called
pom to do for the Red Cross. That
,as the foundation. The real work
as been going on since then with un-
energy and is being directed '
y as fine body of patriotic men and
omen as ever took hold of a great
ational problem in an emergency II
Figures Tell Story
Orders are pouring in by mail and (
Iessenger for worsted yarn with
hich to knit sweaters, socks, helmets,
&C.; for cloth with which TO make i
ajamas, surgical shirts and other ar
cles; for material with which TO
AXE surgical dressings. Often the
omen come in their automobiles with
leir orders and want them filled att
le moment. Soldiers are bringing I
,quisitions from camps and forts for
veaters and everything" kilograms
me from Washington urging haste v
ith shipments To New York for
rance. Crandin sees them all, dis
ibutes, arranges, placates, excuses,
'ges-and perhaps he swears--who "
lows. He shows no exterior evidence N
the swear, or Of even ruffled tenn d
n.
The goods that come In from the r
anches and chapters come In all a.
nds Of bundles. These have TO be ii
rifed, recorded, sorted, and stored.
IT the storing isn't for long these d,
ys. They may be repacked in stand D
d cases at once and shipped of To "