Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-07-05
RED CROSS NOTES

to Red Cross workers in the county
and give an insight into the amount
of work being accomplished, manner
of doing it, and necessary changes
being made. 1t also shows how i'm
portant it is that we follow explicit
directions implicitly and we certainly
will all do so cheerfully. Whatever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy |
might"
To All Lake Division Chapters
The women of the country working
through the Red Cross are producing
enormous quantities Of surgical dress
ngs, hospital and refugee garments,
and other useful articles. The pro-
duction has been increasing during
the past year by leaps and bounds;
there is no apparent limit to the gen.
erosity and devotion of these Red
Cross workers.
The Red Cross today is. one of the
greatest manufacturing enterprises
in the world, and the wise direction of
all this energy and enthusiasm pre-
sents many serious problems. We
want every Red Cross worker to un-
derstand the situation as it gradu
ally develops, so that we may have
that cooperation on the part of every
one that goes with true understand
ing of Red Cross aims and purposes.
Our Entry Into the War
When the country made it's entry
into the war the Red Cross saw the
necessity of providing great guam
titles of articles which could be made
by the Chapter workers, such as sur
gical dressings, hospital garments,
knitted comforts, and the like.
In a surprisingly short time the
chapters were turning out enormous
quantities of all these articles. In
the meantime, the Red Cross organi-
zation for inspecting, transportation,
and distributing these products to the
points of need was being developed.
1t was not humanity possible at the
outset to make any dependable esti-
mates of the quantities and relative
proportions in which the various
kinds of articles should be produced.
1t required time and opportunity to
study the situation from every angle
so as to be sure in the end that they
had given due weight to all of the
perplexing phases of the problem.
While these studies were being
made, the Red Cross was convinced
that it would be wise to spare no pains
to be ready for any demand that
might be made upon it; that is, the
creation of great stocks of necessary
articles so that emergencies - and
emergencies are the rule of war -
might always find US ready.
To +laa ~, ~
of raw material available in the coun-
try and the shipping space which
might be used to transport the COM
pleted articles to the point of need
the policy of almost unlimited pro.
duction might be justified. But there
, is a limit, and very definite limit
to resources, both of materials anC
!. transportation; and so it is not only
wise but necessary that we put the
entire production as rapidly as, pos
sible on the basis of our best estimates
of the most urgent needs,. so thai
= while we care for the Red Cross re
!, quirements adequately we may at thu
same time be conserving the coun
: try's resources of material and it,
4 transportation facilities now so sorel.
!, tried.
+ The Situation Today
s Surgical Dressings
The rate at which surgical dress
q ings have been produced has beel
o constantly increasing and is now at
r point higher than our estimates indi
J., cate as necessary for some months t
$ come. This rapidly increasing pro
" duction has strained the capacity o
\ the manufacturers of raw material
d to such an extent that there has bee
e serious difficulty in securing suffi
n cient gaYze and other materials use
= in making dressings.
r If chapters will take steps to limi
d their production of dressings to tn
exact kind and quantities specifcall
l. called for by the division, they ma
D feel assured that the situation is bt
S. ing we'll cared for. This does nc
;e mean, however, that any women VIII
y are willing to work need be idle, be
1T cause of lack of opportunity. The1
y is urgent need for other kinds of Re
D. Cross work, as will be seen by tn
Is statement which follows:
< Hospital Garments, Refugee GA
or ments, Comfort Kits, Knitted
n Goods.
r For months past, careful studi'
{, have been in progress, not only
q our commission abroad. but by OIL
IN departments in this country, workin
ss in close cooperation with the arm
- and navy to determine the need fl
ee these articles. AS a result, defni1
estimates of their requirements b
oI tween now and autumn are in har
Sh and have served as the basis for Il
ne allotments for the work to be done /
st the chapters. To make the thin,
" called for by this estimate will mes
p that more women than ever befo
will be required to devote their tin
to this work. Some of these articl
are for our own soldiers and for tho
who will soon be called to the color
others are for the hospitals of o.
allies abroad, both civil and militar
while still others are for the unfo
tunate population in the actual w
zone of our allies, where they w
serve to alleviate so far as possit
the suffering of old men, of WON
and children, and at the same tir
Ter serve as a reminder of this country
iAISlCSI anu sympathy al d IlIne WIN
such evidences of sympathy mean
Sc, much to the morale of these sore
stricken rountries. This is a war n
of the soldier and sailor alone,
of ths whole people, and the NOR;
of the civilians behind the lines
ee, quickly reflected at the front. If t
people falter, the soldiers will n
fight so effectively. You will s,
therefore, that what we are doing +
the civilians in France, Italy, a
Belgium, is just as truly for the fgl
ing man as if it were done for hi
a. self.
The same disciplined effort viii
|. has met the needs of the past ye
will answer the new demands. 7
/. women of the country expect to
3. spond to sudden change in orders a
to accept irregularity in supplies,
- these are necessary outcome of "
demands and war conditions It