Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-19
MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 10, 1918.
UNlFYING WAR WORK

There has been some moro or less desultory discus
..don Of the subject Of untfying what may be termed tho
AUXILIARY work Of the war, that which is performed by
the various service and relief agencies with which We are
Familiar. The Spokane spokesman-Review contributes
the following to the discussion:
1T would be interesting and helpful If the country
.rou1d have the unreserved Judgment of General Perahlng
and other officers In high command in France on the
pest way for conducting the aIeviating and recreational
work now divided. and necessarily to some extent dup1i-
fated by tho Red Cross. the z M c. A, the 7. W. C. A.,
ehe Knights of Columbus and the Salvation Army.
Splendid service Is rendered by all these agencies.
but the presence in the war zone Of 30 many organrza-
k1ons must impose upon the army organization there a
growing burden that could be nghtened greatly if Cen
oral Pershing. the general star and the commanding Of
sncers in the field had to deal with only one great central
agency. The task of adjusting the various agencies now
In the field must entail enormous expenditure of
thought and labor on army officers.
"It is now becoming increasingly apparent that a
mistake was made when the government failed to put
an ailevtattns and recreatonal work under the direction
OF the Red Cross. Then a single fund, raised in a single
campaign, would provide support for everything that is
now attained by half a dozen drives
Now there Is lack Of close coordination, both In
France and at home. The Y. NJ c. A., for Illustration.
decides that /" wants 500, 100000 for the coming years
work and the general boards Of all the other organfza-
lions also decide Tor themselves what they will expendk
No power or authority seems lodged anywhere to adjust
these varying demands to the actual needs In the field.
It Is as though each Of the Ave commissioners Of the city
of Spokane were permitted to make mp his own budget
and go out and collect it from the taxpayers without any
co-ordinating budget-making restraint ~
The tendency is not only toward wasteful compe-
tition, but must be directly hampering' and handicapping
sto the high army commando France. =
would it not be wise for the government to rectify
now, as quickly as possible. the mistake made when It
allowed SO many agencies to attach themselves to the
army? Why not put all army service under the Red
Gross, letting that great national and international or
sanitation absorb the working organizations of the Y. NJ.
g. A., the 7. W G. A., the knights Of Columbus and the
Salvation Army? >The government itself is pointing the
way to that when It abolishes all distinctions in the ma
stonal army, merging ipto one great fighting force the
regulars, the national guard and the national army"
There is probably much that can be said on the
other side, and the operation Of these and similar socie-
ties on an Independent basis has its advantages. It may
Sbe worth while, however, to consider whether or not the
general administrative work Of all these bodies might
not usefuly be handled by the Red Cross societies them
selves, bringing to bear the force and,spirit Of their or
Sssanizations to arouse interest, and stimulate enthusiasm
= home. < -.