The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-23
How Great German Offensive
Extra Duty Handled by
That Organization.
AIDS REFUGEES
AND SOLDIERS
Mercy Workers Caught on Edge
of Vast Conflict, But Was
Equal to Occasion.

WASHINGTON, May 22.-(By Asso-.
ciated press e>sIoSL the Red Cross re-
lief organization in France met the
crisis thrust upon it by the recent
great German offensive, when it's lines
were driven back together with those
of the French and British armies, is
one of the inspiring stories OF tnatl
greatest of worlds battles. Caught
suddenly on the edge of. the vast con-
flict and in danger of being over
whelmed by fne great number OF refu-
gees and wounded soldiers fleeing pc
fore the German ofsrush, the Red Cross
relief army. too, was compelled to fail
hack and while maintaining its organ
ization and preserving its supplies
had to give every possible aid to the
refugees and soldiers.
A narrative of how this was achieved
and how the new Red Cross lines IN
the rear were organized even While the
relief work was in progress has been
received from Paris at the Red cross
headquarters here.
AS soon as the drive started. reads
the story, Major Perkins, head oil lhe
American Red Cross, called some alaes
together and made his plans. or course
the first problem WAS to assure TIE
safety of all the S.Srkers in the fieid
and that Incidentally has been assured.
But it was not Just question OF rush
/! ing back to safety. No such simple IL
tpominous plan occupied for an instant
/ the thoughts of any relief WORKER.
/ They We're to retire in good oroer anu
work every second for the refugees and
the soldiers. Other workers ana a
! great mass of material We're TO De Fusi-
/ ed forward from Paris.
| Just as the German drive testeo tue
resources of the allies, so, lnaireoti5
! II tested every relief organization. Ii
/ was necessary to eonnect the re,e, nc
work under a field general, to keep the
] transnortation lines between all the va
| lions stations of the Red Cross in the
/ field connected. to work on big plan
so that the work instead OF decreasing
i could grow.
.If Won will take a map showing the
| nr esent territory affected by the great
hattie YOU can follow the plan OF with
1 drawal which Major Perkins and ms
staff worked out The Ped Cross work
ers who were nearest the battle When
I il broke were those in Ham ana at
/ Croix Molignaux, northeast of Ham.
/ From Ham, Croix-Molignaux. Nesie ana
| Grecourt. where there were construc-
1 tion warehouses and staffs and medi-
i cal relief workers, including small
/ bosnital for babies, they drew back on
i Rove. And on Sunday an organized
! Red Cross line was formed which
stretched from Amiens to Montdidler'
! Lassigny. Noyons and SCISSORS.
! "The next withdrawal was to the
I present line where a perfected cham
/ of stations to help refugees has been
developed. From, Beauvaic on the wes'
II ft passes through Ctermont, Gomplesne
and Scissors
Il .compiegne is where field headquar-
4 ters have been established. As the
/ most advanced Red Cross workers
Il Withdrew from their posts, reinforce
4 ments were sent from the rear. Wher
i the first accommodating party arrived
! to do helping the refugees with whom
Il The roads were crowded. Back they
!, dashed to Paris to give the word Ane
hack again to Compiegne with orders
!. and supplies. But the refugees were
) no longer alone in the roads. There
we're soldiers also. Though the frs
/. there. they found that there was worl
, plan had been to help the refugees a
: this point, the assistance was als'
turned over to the soldiers.
j -The Red Cross men arrived for thei
,! second visit to Compiegne on moon
!. last might. Uncouth German aviator
= We're flying low and their machin
guns We're beating a tattoo on tn
/. town while from time to time boml
a dropped. AS one man said while hi
j ear sped through the moonlight "ther
was just a riece OF canvas betweel
I, men and hell"
|. a boml, had dropped on three arm,
!, trucks standing close together. Thei
: gasolene tanks exploded and flam
! shot up through the clear night light
: Compiegne was not pleasant plac
THAT night. But the relief workers wer
Istuck there in spite of machine gum
land bombs. Finally they found tn
ihoteI which had been abandoned an
taken over as emergency He'd Cros
headquarters.
A Red Cross hospital at Annel fif
teen miles north OF Compiegne ha'
; been evacuated. but the American doc
tors stuck Ia their posts which wa