The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1918-03-06

rule for every case. If common sense.
on the spot requires a different rule.
How would the government do it?
How would federal law provide for
the myriad cases of humanitarian
work that must be done for our
friends, the allies, if they are restor-
ed to industry and agriculture for
the long hard war that stretches be-
fore us if we defeat Germany?
The American government simply
couldn't do it. 1t could not hire the
experts who are needed. For these
experts would not work for the sal
aries that this government could pay.
Yet for nothing, for the sheer love
of service, for the joy they feel in
helping their fellow men, these ex-
'perts are doing this work for the
American Red Cross. These men and
women feel that they are not tied up
by Federal red tape. They feel that
no party is taking credit for their
work, to use that credit in winning
elections. So, as free, unfettered
American citizens they are giving
their whole lives and strength to this
Red Cross work; working sometimes
all day and all night in emergencies;
and they know that there are no re-
wards, no promotions, no glory, no
mention in the newspapers-nothing
but joyous service and sacrifices and
the exaltation that comes from See
ing ones work grow under ones
hand and bear fruit.
And then there is the work with
the children and the tubercular. That
work requires technically trained
people. 1t requires wide ATTITUDES
in dealing with new conditions rising
every day. One day last August the
Red Cross started in to complete,
and now has completed, half-fi finish
ed tuberculosis hospital abandoned
by the French during the war. The
American Red Cross spent tens of
thousands of dollars on this hospital
and turned it over to it's French
owners without even reserving the
right to send single patient there.
But, of course, that hospital relieves
that much tuberculosis from the
French villages in which our soldiers
are spending their days this winter.
But the American government
couldn't do it. If the American gov
eminent went to building hospitals
and giving them to private citizens
of France, scandal would arise that
would burn up Washington.
Last August the American Red
Cross issued an order for an automo-
bile to be given to a French hospital
for children at Toul, near Nancy. A
lot of chintzes for the bedrooms
were sent down to brighten them up;
a lot of toys for the children French
children brought in from the war
zone too young to keep on their gas
masks. Today ten Red Cross automo-
biles are hauling to Red Cross hos
pitfalls in France, French children
whose parents held in slavery in
Germany, are now being dumped ev-
cry day at Evian, on the Franco
Swiss border. The Red Cross autos
haul these poor, diseased, starved
children to Red Cross hospitals -
American Red Cross hospitals, where
the kids are kept for a time, fed,
nursed, dressed and made we'll.
Fancy our government doing that
for French children. Yet it must be
done if the French morale behind the
lines is kept up this winter. These
deeds of the American Red Cross are
just as much part of our militray
policy in France and Italy as; though
they were done under articles of
war, where we are spending millions
this minute to help the stricken
people.
The government could, of course,
hire knittters; it could, of course,
issue pensions for soldiers families
in America 1t could buy ether and
bandages and hire nurses. But these
things are SO small a part of the Red
Cross work that with them alone our
cause would fall. Every man or wo-
man who out of mis- own heart here
at home gives to support the Red
Cross is helping our cause from an
angle of attack that is new in mod
ern war. 1t is the angle Of brother
hood. 1t stiffens the courage of the
civilians. 1t puts heart into our SOL
der allies by the comforting knowl-
edge that their home affairs are go
ing we'll. And every dollar. put into
the Red Cross makes not only for
victory in this war, but for everlast-
ing peace between the great nations
now fighting together in this war.
England and France have been our