The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-11-08
RED CROSS
NEWS NOTES

The following letter from Senator
O.. H: Griggs with the Red Cross
forces lin France speaks of the work
of the. organization. The letter was
crowded out of these columns last
week, but we print it this week in or
der that every father and mother can
see what is being done for their boys
at the. front and also work being
done by the men who, while not in
the trenches with gun, are doing
noble. work for humanity. The let
ter also speaks in glowing terms of
the splendid manhood of the Ameri-
can boys over there. All in all it is
too good to keep and we print it in
the hopes all will take cognizance of
the many fine traits shown by the
writer. The letter says:
Tonight / have returned from two
days NEAR the front, and despite the
splendid war news of the day, l am
a bit sick at heart. The surrender of
Bulgaria today cannot erase from my
mind the things | have seen. The
Belgian advance, the British victory
at Cambria, the collapse of Turkey
each is enough to thrill the world;
but not to make me forget yesterday
and today. For l have been up in
the thick of things with our own
Americans, checking up the efficiency
of the Red Cross supply and trans
portation systems, and its work when
things are hot. / have made the
rounds of the hospitals where the
brave boys are taken first; where
they get their first real attention
after being wounded. What i'm
pressions / brought back, will remain
with me all my life. My pride in
the organization of my departments,
my satisfaction at the things they
are doing-does not relieve my mind
of other things. 1t doesn't blot out
of my mind the sight of the dozen
operations l saw in progress in one
ward; the hungry looks of the gamest
boys l ever saw; the rows of lads
waiting their turns on stretchers; the
dirt they brought with their wounds;
the helpless, homesick appearances
of many as the Red Cross attendants
administered to them, and the very
pity of the gratitude they showed.
Never did a man feel so little or as
though he were doing so little for
that array of wonderful fighting Am
orleans, who had gone up to the hell
of it and paid their share for better
world. They all went up singing
and were brought back game. Not
regret, not complaint and
scarcely moan-always game.
Crusaders they are, but unlike the
crusaders of old, these men will win
through, victorious.
In one hospital, next the lone stove
in the room, there shivered miser-
able, detected Boche. No one of
Tended him or paid him ridicule, and
he took his turn as the rest-no
doubt to his own great amazemen&
and wondering. His treatment was
no doubt humane and proper-but it
does gnaw ones heart bit to think
that giving him his turn may delay
the attention necessary to save the
life of one of our own boys. This
Boche was a pitiful sight-badly
wounded, but Sitting case"-one
of the best illustrations / have seen
of the fall of Prussianism pomp and
bravado Thousands and thousands
of Hun prisoners have l seen--but
never so vivid a picture of what
Prussianism has brought upon the
German people as this stupid boy
presented.
These two days have hurt my own
efficiency, for it will be difficult for
me to come back to the practiced
work tomorrow-the work of keep
ing dozens of trucks on the way with
their loads of precious supplies. 1t
has been my responsibility for the
past, month to have charge of all
Red Cross transportation, warehouse
and supplies for the big offensives.
1t has been a tremendous task, and
in addition, am head of the Con-
struction Department, which at this
moment has over fifty Canteens,
Recreation Huts and Nurses Quar-
tiers under process of erection. The
department of Personnel is also
mine, so you may guess l am very
busy man. 1t has meant endless
work to get it all co-ordinated, and l
feel that no man in the Red Cross
has had a greater job than mine.
My compensation is in knowing that
the Red Cross has filled the gaps at
critical times, and that my work has
been done to the limits of my
strength. 1t is all an emergency
business, and each day is a year in
itself. When 1 left home, my am
billions never carried dreams of the
particular kinds of work l have
done. 1t has all been more than an
experience-it has been a whole ca
reer in itself, and if it should be my
misfortune to be one of those "mis-
sing" I shall have speut a whole
lifetime in less than a year.
To extol the work of the Red Cross
would hardly be modest coming from
me--but I may truthfully say that
our people need never regret making
it all possible. 1t has been more
than an agency of Mercy-it has