Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-21
SPLENDID WORK
OF THE RED CROSS
DURING PAST YEAR
Reviewed by Campaign Chairman
Henry p. Scott at Open
ing Meeting.
MRS. T. c. DU POINT
WRITES FROM FRANCE

cross, made stirring appeal for special
effort in the campaign and gave most
interesting detailed report of the years
work IN Delaware at a dinner st the
Hotel du Pont last night, which pre-
coded the opening meeting of the cam
palgn In The Playhouse later in the even
ing.
In our campaign of last June, 10000
of our people contributed 81, l34, ,270.U1
and have paid all of it but three-eighths
of one per cent" he said. Delaware is
proud of her children. The great value
of the Red Cross is well illustrated by
our Delaware chapter. Delaware Chap
ter, with it's % branches and auxharies
(there were but % q year ago. In the ten
months, July /, 1917, to May |, 1918,
shipped an average of 5000 new articles
each working day, as follows: Hospital
supplies, 69, ,954; knitted articles, 53, SO5;
surgical dressings, 3SS, ,567; 1000 lay
cites (5S articles in each, 5000; refugee
garments, ,247; 900 Christmas boxes
10 articles in EACH, 10000; 5000 com
fort bags Us articles in each, 81 800;
total. 66o,073.
"These supplies arr necessary to the
safety and comfort of our soldiers and
of our Allies Many Of them our govern
ment could not have purchased. II 1t
could have purchased them, Charles
Topkis has estimated TO me that
those which were made by voluntary
labor would have cost two to three times
their cost To our chapter. There has
been special care to give each Delaware
boy comfort bag, sweater and what
ever other woolens he needed.
During the year the educational
committee in the surgical dressings in
! ffasI 4
pills. graduated I'll, appointed l4l IN
structors, had i04 classes under instruc-
rion and graduated rs classes. Special
lectures IN bacteriology have been given
by physicians; lectures on sugar, fat
and wheat substitutes by Red Cross
dietitian: demonstration lectures for post
graduates in horne nursing by a Red
Cross nurse director OF the teaching CEN
tire: also. an intensive course IN infant
welfare
The home service or civilian relief
bureau has helped 3l2 families and made
"a visits. In this great service our Red
Cross particularly deserves Its name as
the greatest mother in the world With
out publicity or the wounding OF sensl-
tive feelings financial assistance Is given;
medical csre secured IN case of illness;
suitable employment found; valuable
educational work instituted IN families
10 make new standards of cleanliness and
good living.
''Our bureau Of cantecn, starting but
8 few months ago, has gwen breakfasts,
lunches or dinners to 13,02S men. One
who has not participated In the canteen
work can appreciate its difficulties
DELAY of trains the real labor of handling
so many supplies, the nervous strain OF
the hurry to feed the boys IN the short
time allowed. But the cheer this service
brings to the bows on their long trips
they are made 10 feel our people have
their welfare at heart-fnakes IL well
worth while
Recently new burcsu Of junior
membership has started q most promising
work and has already enrolled $40
children.
"An honor to the noble Red Cross
women of Delaware and their voluntary
work
in this campaign Delaware's minimum
quota is 100000. i know our people
are not as well of financially as they Were
a wear ago, but their determination 70
carry the war TO q righteous CONCLUSION
is much stronger now than then. Shall
We exceed the number and total of last
wears contributions? The present greater
need demands greater sacrifice and Del
aware has never yet failed to respond 10
such s cause.
MRS r. c. DU PoHr WRITES FROM FRANCE.
The enthusiasm stirred by this report
was great, but by comparison 1t was
almost insignificant to the applause which
greeted letter which Mr.. Scott read 4
from Mrs. I. Coleman du Pont, who Is
now in France in the interest Of the Y.
". c. A Mrs. du Pont went abroad
few weeks ago TO further the great hu-
manitarIan work IN wfuch she has shown
a deep interest, but her loyalty 10 Del
aware caused her TO write the following
letter. SO that il might reach the Red
Cross workers on the eve of their cam
palgn.
Tours, May ., 1918.
"Dear Mr.. Scott:
Il am thinking OF the Rcd Cross
campaign. and wondering whether q
letter from me would interest the teams
who will doubtless meet as usual ID the
rose room Of the Hotel du Pont can
imagine the familiar faces gathered round
the tables, and send a warm greeting 10
all. / have had a wonderful trip. If
Coleman would have been with me- We
would have had the time of our lives, for
Red Cross, Y. NJ. G.. A. and u W G A
not begin 10 tell you how much impressed
am by the effort America Is making and
am prouder than ] can say Of what see
and hear That there is the most press
ing and urgent need Of every effort is
very evident American boys swarm all
over the piacei Every Red Cross can
teen is 0verfiowedl Every 7, Nj, G, A, |
hut is jammed and every I, ", 4. A. IL |
sSamredt Ii Is overwhelming
cat st. Etienne | went with q splendid I
Red Cross woman, Miss Smythe, on her |
rounds among the refugees. In st. Etien- T
ne the men are modified for work In the
mines. The city, which covers broadly
as much ground as Wilmington, has /
population OF $4,000, which is three
times its normal number. Every nook is
filed to oyerfiowlng with refugees, thou
sands of them are in old stone houses, up
stairs, living in dirt and
misery indescnbable families of six or
sven eight in one room, beds, stove, sick
people, children all hqddisd together.
rampant No sanitation
whatever. No air IN the rooms, the only
water a hydrant III the middle of the
block The Red Cross is their only hope.
The little group Of eight American
men and women, RED Cross and Y. W. G.
A. are the only Americans in the town. and
doing an heroic piece Of work Mrs
Roger Bacon told me & story which
asked her to send to headquarters A
young mother lay exh4us led after the
birth Of her baby, without help or care,