New-York tribune., 1918-12-24
Drive Adds
24,OO0,O0O to
Red Cross Roll
Total Includes Six Million
Boys and Girls, One
Third in Atlantic Division
Final Figures Not In
Hundreds of Workers Re-
fused to Stop Soliciting
Long Enough to Report

The Red Cross Christmas rollcall
ended las. night, with unofficial esti-
mates that 100000 men and women
and 5000 900 boys and girls had Joined
the organization during the week of
the drive. The estimated total was far
below what had been hoped for-which
was to double the 22,000,00o members
enrolled last year--but was considered
good in view of the signing of the
arfnisticc.
A statement Of the New York county
committee last night declared that the
total in Manhattan would be consider
ably in excess of the 2S5,000 of last
wear. The Atlantic division came
strongly to the fore also in the Junior
Red Cross memberships, for 100000,
one-third of the nations total. was en-
rolled here.
Final figures will not be available for
two or three days, it was said by Henry
n. Campbell, chairman of the New \ ork
county rollcall committee.
Too Busy to Report.
"There xre thousands of enrolments
in the hands of the workers, who have
refused to stop soliciting long enough
to make a report" said Mr.. Campbell.
This condition was said to be true of
the $4,000 workers of the homes cam
vass division and Of the religious
workers, who carried out an intensive
campaign in churches and synagogues
throughout the city on Saturday and
Sunday. No reports have been received
from them. and it is expected that they
will furnish one of the most successful
reports.
The industries division and the
downtown division were unable to make
reports yesterday because there were
hundreds Of corporations and business
concerns which are waiting to give
their workers a greater opportunity to
solicit memberships. Many Individual
concerns are holding out their final re-
port. and are still trying to round up
a 100 per cent enrolment Of employees.
Mrs. John Purroy Mitchell, in charge
of the campaign in the hospitals in
Manhattan, is said to have been as
sured that nine out of ten of these
hospitals would return 100 per cent
membership lists, including doctors,
nurses, orderlies, engineers, scrub
women and kitchen help.
Every policeman on the New York
force worked tirelessly yesterday,
ro1ndirg up memberships. They were
under the direction of Lieutenant T.
T. Cummings, of the Chief Inspectors
office and worked in shifts. They
kept up the canvass with their regular
duties. until the drive was called off
at midnight.
1t was decided at a conference of
representatives of the Roll Call Com
mittee, the Fifth Avenue Association
and others who donated the Christmas
trees, festoons and Yuletide decora-
tions on Fifth Avenue for the week of
the drive, to give these emblcms of the
season to the hospitals and the poor.
There are 280 Christmas trees in boxes
along Fifth Avenue, in addition to
thousands of pounds of festooning. All
of the decorations are to come down
to-day.
Stage Women Kept Busy
Final meetings of the Stage Wom-
ems War Relief for the Red Cross
drive were held yesterday afternoon
on the Public Library steps, and last
night at the Lexington Opera House
where the stage women appeared at
the opening performance of the soldier
show, alta Boy"
The Library meeting was in honor
of the Allies, and soldiers from every
nation represented in the city were
present and helped in the appeal. Ar
Australian lad minus an arm, and othel
battle scared veterans did a THRIVING
business selling membership buttons.
Large squadrons of arplanes from
the Hazelhurst Field flew over tn,
city in cross formation, with the rec
emblems painted on the under side o.
the wings.