New Britain herald., 1917-04-19
WILSON ENDORSES
 DRESSINGS WORK
Believes Committee Should Send
 As Much Aid As Possible


 The president in his message to congress last Monday says with great sanity and common sense, We should keep constantly in mind tho wisdom of interfering as little as possible in our own preparation and in the equip ment of our own military forces with the duty-for it will be very prac- tical duty-of supplying. the nations already at war with Germany with the materials which they can obtain only from us or by our assistance. They are in the field and we should help them in every way to be effective there."
 In accord with so wise policy 1t is only necessary for us to continue as we are doing, and strain every nerve to send as many dressings to the AL lies now. our Allies. as possible. The need for dressings this summer on the other side will be greater than ever, for the most terrible battles of the war are probably still to be fought
 Thanks to all you workers in our splendid branches, the Surgical Dress ing Committee is materially increas- ing its output and hopes to send this year double what it did last.
 As yet we have lost no shipments by submarines but if we do, it Is only necessary to send more.
 Germany, without doubt, hopes that once this country Is in the war we will, for selfish reasons, withhold supplies needed by our Allies.
 In order to keep our output of dressings at the maximum, I ask you to plan now for carrying on the work during the summer. I hope work rooms will be kept open, even if mem bers are scattered. and that members away from their branch will organize groups wherever they are and send back the dressings, either to the home branch or the Peter Bent Brigham hospital. Thus the workrooms could be used as depots. Portland was a notable example of such an arrange ment last summer, having. five sub- branches at different summer places which sent supplies to their center. the workroom at Portland Surgical Dressings Committee. When your plans are made, do not fail to notify us in ample season, so as to secure the services of a nurse to start such groups. and to make your plans for a sufficient supply of materials. It would he advisable that a canvas be made of your members to ascertain their plans as soon as possible
 New England does not need any large accumulation of surgical dress ingsat present, sufficient were pro- vided last summer, and the director of military relief, Colonel Kean. has said that our supplies, such as we are sending to our Allies, will be accepted here. There is, therefore, no need to the direction of our supplies or the patterns of what we make. ex- cepting in few designated centers where our nurses, who are also en- rolled Red Cross nurses. have been teaching the Red Cross dressings. This has been done as a possible safeguard in case we entered into a prolonged war fought on our own soil.
 We hope that all of our members will be loyal to the Red Cross and embrace the opportunities 1t offers in it's educational classes in First Aid. Home Nursing and Dietetics. If Red, Cross Chapters are started in your community, we should be glad to have you offer to undertake to do the sur gical dressings work for them. If there is a strong feeling in your com munity that dressings should be kept for American use we can reserve your supplies for any base hospital that may be started, or we will return the dressings, sent to us for inspection, to be used by you for any purpose you <1 ivo %o%4
 We hope that you will not abate anything that you are doing for our Allies, but to undertake this latter work in addition to what you are al- ready doing.
 Dr. Marcel Knecht, who comes to us representing the French govern ment, asks that we do not take up any reconstruction work until the war Is finished, and that we continue to send our dressings to France for at least three months after the war is over. / Believe me. for the committee.
 Sincerely yours,
 KATHERINE R. MEAD,
 Chairman. Boston, April g. 1917.
 The foregoing statement and appeal is most strongly endorsed by the chairman of the New Britain Surgical Dressings Committee, Mrs. H. B. Humason.
 The work rooms at 169 Vine street are open to all interested to help in this work. Let the New Britain com mittee make a 'big push" this spring toward the five millions which the national committee should send this year.
 MOODY A MOUNTED SCOUT.
 Ralph C. Moody, son of Professor and Mrs. James c. Moody of Maple Hill. has enlisted in the mounted scouts of the Second Maine regiment. The scouts are expected to report in