The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-20
RICHMOND RESPONDS PROMPTLY To CALL
FOR RED CROSS FUNDS, AFTER.B|G PARADE
AND GREAT DEMONSTRATION At AUDITORIUM
More Than Half City's Quota Subscribed in Mass
Meeting Kerr Branch Starts Collection
With $4,000 Cift-Organized Canvass
Starts This Morning.


Red Cross yesterday afternoon In
great meeting at the City Auditorium,
after a record breaking demonstra-
ton in the pageant yesterday after
noon, which opened the one-week
drive for funds for this greatest OF
constructive charities.
An immense overflow meeting was
held at Monroe park, to accommodate
the crowds which could not find room
in the auditorium. Al the latter place
DIR. Douglass s. Freeman made a
lengthy address and Chairman John
Kerr Branch. who opened the sub
sor;ptions with a brief and vigorous
speech and a personal gift OF s25,-
600 Others followed with smaller
sums, going as low as 81. But the
givers mite was as acceptable as vas
the mflionaire's hundreds or thou
sands, for It all goes into the general
fund.
Members Of the Stenographers as
ISOLATION last night gave their ser
vices TO the tabulation Of the hun
dreds OF cards upon which the pledges
were written. and for several hours
they la5ored at Red Cross headquar
tiers. Chairman Workman and his as
sistaats worked faithfully in getting
the amount together, and il MAS
figured out that the total Will reach
s24o,3s5.
Several notable incidents In cor
uection with the collection were those
In which the Rotary club secured
1903 from people along the lire OF
march, which was thrown into an
enormous banner which was carried
by members of the organization in the
shape of an immense waiter. all along
the line money In the shape o. bills
and small change were thrown into
The unique receptacle, and the total
reached the sum mentioned. that Of
the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.
collected from mem bers. amounting to
s3eso. and that offered by the school
chorus. amounting to $500.
Committees will be busy today al
the booths, and the campaign for
funds will begin in earnest early this
Al the City Auditorium hundreds
awaited the arrival OF the speakers and
the music and IL short while
after the pageant had reached the end
OF tts line at Monroe park that the
stage began TO Eli with singers, must
clans, leading citizens, committeeman
and speakers.
On the stage sat eminent nnanciers
dignifsd business men and leading
pubiioiets. while as background sat
the school ehorusss and kessnfchs M
nicipai band. In the auditorium we're
hundreds OF the leading business and
professional men ard women Of the
city. with spr!nk!ing Of Red Cross
nurses and soldiers
The galleries were allied With colorsd
citisens and two bands. the latter en-
tsring Just as Or, Douglas 8 Freeman
was about 70 start his address. and
continuing TO play Onward Christian
Soldiers until all the colored conttn-
gent. which had been late IN reaching
tho auditorium had been seated
This incident added to the pic
turesaue scene, the entire audience
atanding at attention during the play
Ing OF the hymn, and giving the colored
folks noisy welcome at tts conelu-
sion
Coleman WORKMAN. chairman OF the
Red Cross committee Of Richmond. He
introduced Mayor Ainslis. who In a
few words. in which he told Of Rich
monds splendid work in Red Cross
campaigns. and forecast stfll greater
work in the which now begins
presented DR.. Douglas 8. Freeman, who
revised this work OF the Red Cross from
its inception, and went into details as
TO the purposes Of the organization.
werk of Red C~oss.
The speaker gave a brief and inter
esting history of the organization. and
told of the splendid work Of relief
which the organization had accom-
plished on the battleneIds Of France
and OF the other devastated states of
Europe. Every dollar given went to-
ward the relief of the soldiers. their
dependent families. to the prisoners In
German camps. and to the relief nf suf-
fertnE humanity caused by the war II
helped the men in the trenches to the
better bear their burdens. and 1t helped
the widows and orphans. and the
mothers Of the men who have lost
their lives in the defense of freedom.
Richmond is expected TO raise At
least $500. 900. and the state of Virginia
liz allotted the sum of $1,000. 900. Rich
mond expects to have little trouble In
raising it's quota. and then soms. to use
the language of John Kerr Branch,
ana Virginia expects TO go far above
the sum nxed as the quota for the
state.
DR. freeman urged every one 10 con-
.tder the situation fully. and to pre-
pare himself to fight the enemy with
out and the enemy within, the latter
being numerous. He said the enemy
within had proven to be venomnus and
vicious. and that every effort should be
made to scotch him as one would
snake.
we must go into this thing with
me spirit ~ conservation, said Dr..
Freeman. Not through the spirit of
sacrifice would like the word sacri-
Ace stricken out of the cabulary in
It's relation to matters pertaining to
The war We do not sacrifice ourselves;
,re consecrate ourselves"
Branch Gets the MONEY.
Following DR., Freeman, John Kerr
Branch went after the money with
yin, which carried him over the top and
carried the funds far above what the
neople OF the city expected this early
IN the campaign. More than three
fourths Of the amount set for Rich
mond's minimum was reached In one
OF the spectacular events which have
80 frequently crossed Mr.. Nranch's
rath during the past few months,
After plea for some one In the
audience to start the ball rolling with
: so5. 600 subscription, end finding no
takers for that sum, Mr.. Branch put
himself down for the first bid. and the
applause had hardly died away when
the irresistible NJ, Branch Lad men
and women subscribing from every Sec
tion OF the house for sums ranging
from $4,000 down to $500.
q The arguments made by Mr.. Branch
for sums between that he had given
\ himself. and the $4,000 sumr were