Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-18
Open Forum
ABOUT RED CROSS WORK

Friends and Fellow Citizens:
To almost all intelligent citizens it
is apparent that something is going to
happen on the western front in the
very near future-the crash is coming
either the Germans will strike Per
shing or Pershing will strike the Ger
mans Now | want you to try to picture
the long lines of wounded that will be
coming back to the rear for treatment
and l ask will there be sufficient hos
pital supplies so that our Red Cross
workers can care for them whether
they be friend or foe? Both of our To-
cal papers have in the not very distant
past repeatedly called attention TO the
lamentable fact that there is not the in
terest in rendering assistance at var
ious Red Cross centers in the city that
circumstances require. l dare say there
are many women located so far away
from the places of work that they can
not very well walk. Perhaps some Of
them are not accessible to the lines Of
transportation or, if they are, quite
likely they have not the money to pay
the fare. | wish to add word of en-
couragement to those who are agitat-
ing the idea of organizing a Red Cross
automobile club whose function shall
be to see that those who are wishing
to assist in the sewing or rolling of
bandages shall have opportunity to
spend whatever time they can find for
that purpose. | NOSE sincerely hope
that these fragments Of time may thus
be utilized for the good of the cause
which lies so close TO all our hearts. |
No doubt there are many ladies who !
think they cannot assist very much in
sewing or at the preparing of band
ages who can run an auto to perfection
and quite likely enjoy the work spok-
en- of if only brought to their atten
ton properly Some may plead they
can t find time to help the Red Cross
Now I want to tell you something;
there is one woman | know of who
has family of four to look out for.
She does all her own washing, ironing,
baking and mending and the greater
part of her sewing. This same woman
goes one day week to assist her aux
iliarv to sew and second day she
goes to the post office building, dops
her white cap and dress and works un-
der the supervision and inspiration of
the leaders who are working continu-
ouslv ut this humanitarian task. The
woman referred to aasserts that she
expects soon to enter the ranks of an
other group of workers who are pre-
naring gun wipers for the boys at the
front. Incidentally will say, she does
somo knitting for soldiers and is quite
at soliciting Red Cross men,
berships. She sometimes apologises to
her family about negleeting some of
the work about the house but so far as
her partner is concerned he feels that
be is well taken care of but l will add 4
that he is perfectly willing any time
TO take a lunch for supper in order to
save her from a little work after COM
ing home from the Red Cross work.
Now in all these things we folks don t
think we are doing any thing that prop
arly should be called sacrifice. Of
course. there is some self denial in
connection with the program but we
are glad to have this privilege to min
ster is our humble way to the binding
np of the worlds wounds Pardon the
reference to our personal affairs for
[ am wen aware of the fact that there
ire many doing 50 much more that cur
abor seems insignificant.
In conclusion, let me ask can we ev-
r forgive ourselves (even if merei-
ful God should) if because Of neglect
aud proerastinatioR there are not
,noagh supplies when the crucial time
comes. Sometimes in the past our as
soeiates in this war have been com
pelled to use straw and leaves to bind
lp wounds aud shall this occur again
simply because Of inaetion on our
lartl
Mrs. Meyers informed my wife yes