Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-22
AMERICAN RED Gross
HELPS TO BREAK SPIRIT
nun officer Declares Society's Work
crs Wcro Important Factors
in Great War.
ENIIGHTEN GERMAN PEOPLE
Had Been Told That Atrocities Had
seen Practiccd on Teutonic Pris-
oners, Which Later Were Proven
to Be Untrue.

LONDON. December ga few days
ago visited German hospital prison
camp In Enc writes Alice Leone
Eieenor. formerly or San Francisco. in
o on american Red Cross Bulletin. I'm
VINO had been captured two days be-
lore on the Flanders front.
4, Whiie the nurse was explaining his
n.ah was glaring at the Red Cross on
M shoulder strap.
AS ! was about to turn away the
patient muttcred:
- hate the Red Cross hate IT.
,,,o WIZ ~ should you hate the organi-
lor | was frankly. puzzled by the Prus-
sian oi!ccr's evident animosity.
=. Wy. w. for dis reason responded
higher while his eyes flashed. 4 hate
dot Red Cross because it has broken
me brave spirit Of the German peo-
For fifteen minutes the officer con-
t'nued 10 describe the offenses of the
American Red Cross in Germany.
AS | listened to him ] began to
realize that the american Red Cross
had been one OF the most potent fac
moral" of the military and civilian
populations Of Germany. This work
WAS acfTomPished by our BED Cross
and done well. This is what the Ger
man officer revealed to me:
Duo to carefully censored press
munication. the German people have
been kept in complete Ignorance re-
world. Meantime a steady system OF
propaganda calculated to deceive has
been operating.
to those Of tho allies: that America
extent int, tt the VAR 70 th a the Amer
aealps, the German fisoners.
I'm 10 hn1t hi
Eanda. !, had the desired effect for
a time OF making them endure any
s;:h They nigh, , , believe
that the American Red Cross has been
quietly operating in the very mids, Of
ing proof OF the :alslty OF the GER
Visible symbol OF the outside OF Ger
criul one.
"on tho very day tina; leading Ham
burg paper published m article stating
that America would never enter active
i into the war. large group OF
American prisoners was quartered in q
small town nearby.
American Fed Cross depot. Warm
clothing. medicine. food and supplies
OF all kinds arrived in large quaint
ties, The German townspeoplc came
and inspected the depot and its great
store oi supplies In the face Of this
conc etc evidence IL was not strange
li.AN lits t'EFtH 10 "OnNsV "nttncT
Annette. aid lack supplies or did intend
on.s to act rs a fjEuTchcad III the war.
'bn nHO her occasion the Berlin !
T. 5la't published an entire column
III ratification Of the bombing Of Red
CIoss h spItals, the sinking OF Red
Cross snips and firing upon Red Cross
ste1cheT bearers. The Tagebatt told
OF ti- .nhrnanity OF the allied and
American Red Cross in m!strcating
German prisoners. in starving them and
denying them medical attention.
Next day group Of more than $40
Germans who had been cared for in
the American and allied Red Cross hos
pitfalls were returned TO their homes in
Germany. They told OF clean hospitals. .
expert surgeons. good food and kind
treatment, Tho German people began
to ask questions. Once they questioned /
the statement OF their government and
their press, the supreme confidence OF
the German civilian population was
shaken. for people began TO think for
Themselves.
The German oberleutnant hated the
Red Cross for demonstrating the truth |
concerning America to his people. We
are proud o: II for the same reason"
The Velvet Kind.
Keep in mind-the Velvet Kind