The Washington herald., 1918-07-14
RED CROSS AT
FRONT FEEDS
THEFIGHTERS
Has Plenty Of Good Things
to Give Soldiers, But
Nothing to Sell.
By @. @. LYON.


washington Herald Staff Correspond
ent With Gen Pershing's ArmyO
With the American Army on the
Somme, July 13-The American Red
Cross u giving our fighting men m
France more than 100 cents worth of
joy and pleasure with every dollar
contributed by the folks back home u
the Red Cross war fund.
The other day I had q letter from
America which asked:
what Is the Red Cross doing with
the millions of dollars 1t has collected
in America?
The war activities of the Red Cross
doubtless have often been enumerated
in America-its work Of supplying the
hospitals with medicines and supplies.
its feeding and caring for hundreds OF
thousands Of refugees. its work amons
the civilian populations in the allied
countries, its reconstruction work In
the devastated areas, etc
What the Red Cross does for the
fighting men-the men actually in the
line-should. in itself. appeal to ev-
cry relative and friend of an American
soldier.
Has Nothing to Sell.
The Red Cross Is the only organiza-
tiqn working with the army that sells
nothing
Money can't buy even q package Of
cigarettes from the Red Cross. Yet
1t has thousands Of dollars worth Of
cigarettes that it gives away for the
asking.
The Red Cross maintains a system
of free canteens Immediately back Of
the firing lines. and from these bases
il sends to the men in the trenches
cigarettes, tobacco, newspapers, writ
ing material, figs, dates, nuts, sugar
ed doughnuts, hot chocolate and cof-
fee, and sandwiches.
/ spent a day recently in one Of
these free canteens within a mile or
so from the battle line.
That night a captain came in and
said to George d. Sexton, Of Pitts
burgh. who was in charge:
Can 1 buy 100 francs worth of
, cigarettes? My men haven't a pack
age among them and they're crazy
for smokes
mo, you can't buy one francs
worth" said Sexton. good-naturedly.
How many men have you?'
The captain said there were a few
more than 200
Il can give you all the smokes you
need, captain. but 1900 can't buy
one package from the Red Cross
said Sexton
When the captain and a couple of
his orderlies left to go back to the
front they looked like a lot Of walk
ing Christmas trees. loaded down with
presents. They had bundles of every
thing the Red Cross had on hand
II
would send the orderlies back later
there would be cans of hot chocolate
and boxes of sandwiches to take up
to the men.
The Red Cross idea" said Sexton,
lis that nothing is too good for the
boys who are Tisking their lives for
the folks hack home who contributed
to the Red Cross fund
Millions for Medicines.
The Red Cross system of free can
teens applies only to the men in the
fighting line. Back in the reserve and
rest camps their needs are supplied by
the Y. NJ. c. A. which, however.
charges for its wares about the same
prices the men would pay at home.
One would suppose that the United
States government was rich enough to
ONh hOCplNdAS anu Ouy It's
own medicines, but the Red Cross has
spent millions Of dollars for these
things
The idea Is that there Is too much
red tape about government purchases,
and very oIten a hospital can't walt
days or weeks or even months for
material to reach 1t through govern
ment channels.
So the head Of the hospital will
telegraph or telephone his needs
TO the headquarters Of the Red
Cross, and the chances are the stuff
will be on the way to the hospital
within an hour.
There Is no such thing as red tape
in the Red Cross. 1t has the money
and the goods, and 1t delivers in
stantly without first sending out
an expert charity worker to see IL
the man would really die II he
didn't get the medicine he asked
for.
The men and women connected
with the Red Cross in France were
picked for their sterling integrity,
and when they send in a hurry up
call for supplies. the higher-ups
have so much confidence In their
good judgment that they don't stop
to investigate or ask questions.