Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-15

colleagues are Edward Nash Hurley.
once an engineer on the Chicago, Bur-
ington and Quincy railroad. and until
recently chairman of the federal trade
cago; Cornelius N. Bliss. jr., OF New
York, a wealthy merchant: Charles D.
Norton, vice president of the First Ma
tional Bank Of New York, and Maj.
West Point and an officer of the Guar
anty Trust Company. also of New York.
Judge Robert S. Lovett. president Of the
Union Pacific an6 Southern Pacific rail-
ways and an expert on the elimination
of waste. is helping them as a<rolun-
teer.
Associated with these leaders Of busi-
ness in America is Eliot Wadsworth of
Boston. who Is the acting chairman Of
the Red Cross Society IN this country.
his own work as a partner and mana
ger in firm OF electrical and con-
structing engineers and took upon him
self the burden of preparing the Red
Cross for war against the Prussians.
Under the spell of Eliot Wadsworth's
vision and energy, the American Red
Cross doubled its chapters and its
fund of s10o.ooo.0o0.
Out of Harvard. where he rowed in
the crew. Mr.. Wadsworth soon went to
the firm in which, some years later, he
became a partner. Although he says
that he is only rule -of-thumb engi-
neer, he has, as a matter of fact, built
great dams along the Mississippi river
and carried out large enterprises OF
construction. His specially. however.
Is finance. and his firm is one of the
largest in the country. A volunteer
wi ,1f
price, young, vigorous and tnthusiastic,
he is giving all of his time to tho
work of mobilizing doctors. nurses.
medicines. hospital supplies and am
on land and water. The war council.
of which Mr.. Dawson is chairman
might be said to be the Red Cross
board of directors, with every director
constantly duty.
The pay roll. II there were a pay roll.
for the men already named would bank
rupt an ordinary corporation. Judge
Lovett, for instance, is possibly worth
half a million annually. Dawson. a
member of his firm. which earns huge
commissions. went back to New York
from the Washington conference to
consult with his house.
We contribute your services to the
country" his partners said.
Mr.. Hurley left public Office under
the demands of his own large interests.
He had hardly sat down at his old desk
when ne was politely but urgently COM
manded to return by President Wilson
But what really is the work that has
called these men to the colors of their
country? Army doctors and nurses are
paid by the national government. and
hospitals. medicines and ambulances are
supplied by the national government.
THE Red Cross" Mr.. Dawson says "is
to be the foster parent OF our soldiers
ana sailors That sentence was ampli-
ned to the writer by Mr.. Wadsworth.
T. or no ~. vnv,Ic
mentary TO the national agencies of
relief. When the army goes to the
front the Red Cross will accompany
IT. as father. let me say. would go
along with son in the ranks. No one
would expect, not even the father him
self. that the son should be given any
thing ordinarily except that which is
regularly supplied by the military
authorities. But some day. for some
reason. the son may be hungry, and
the father gives him food.
The Red Cross. by its methods of or
ganlZat1on, had 1000 nurses and thou
sands OF doctors prepared for active
DUTY at the front when President Will
son in his message to Congress said
that state of war existed between
this country and Germany. The doctors
and nurses We're scattered all over the
United States and, having been pre-
viously formed into units and having
worked together. were ready at call
and competent.
Wheh a Red cross unit goes with an
army. 1t becomes part of the army, is
paid out of the national treasury and
for the time ceases to have official con-
nectton with the Red Cross Society A
soldier falls in battle. let us say.
stretcher.bearers. formerly Red Cross
men: probably take him to a dressing
station Just back of the firing line
} where former Red Cross surgeons, now
military doctors, give him skilled at
tention. Later. former Red Cross am
: a nd mn n
!, to the base hospital, whore, under the
ministrations OF former Red Cross doc.