The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-29
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IMPORTATION BUREAU
~ FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
WashInEton. ID. O.
MILLIoNs FoR MERCY.


MILLIONS FOR MERCY.
The Gigantic War Fund of the Red
Cross Is Rapidly Being Expended In
World Relief Work.
Washington, Jan. 25.-The work of.
the American Red Cross is going for
ward on both sides of the Atlantic on
on enormous scale. The last detailed
report of The orga nization on Novem--
Der 1, showed appropriations totailing
100000, 900. Since that date the sums
approved for expenditure have risen
to a figure estimated at $50, 0OV,O QUO.
Certain items in this total will even
tually be credited again to the war
fund: for example, the money spent
for articles for resale to local chap
tiers, and a sum of 100000 which
ed in the budget of the French COM
mission, but the size of the net ap-
preparations is a significant index OF
the magnitude of the work being car
ried on.
The public has backed up the Red
Cross in a way that exceeded expecta-
tons. The total membership is over
22.0o0,00O. 1t has become every
body's Red Cross to a greater extent
than even the sanguine hoped for, and
everybody is interested in the way its
scores of millions are being spent
The record of the work done at home
and abroad is such that criticism.
which has for the most part confined
itself to such picayune matters as the
rnisdelivery of a pair of knitted socks,
is pretty effectively silenced.
Perhaps the most striking feature
of the appropriations is the fact that
more than>half of the money is spent
in France. This is due partly to the
fact that the needs of the French
is-Yu-
larly great, and partly because of the
continually increasing number or
American troops in that country
Broadly speaking says the Red
Cross, the first and supreme object OF
the American Red Cross is to care for
our own army and navy"
But almost every other country in
Europe is a field of operations Bel
GUM. Russia, Rumania, Serbia, Italy,
Poland, Great Britain, Armenia and
Syria are included in the list of major
appropriations. The amount of money
to be expended in each of these coun-
tries is no measure of the conditions
there, but rather represents the effect
iveness with which the American or
ganization can apply a relief program
in view of local conditions.
The work in Poland, for example,
has only called for a sum of 100000
so far, altho conditions in Poland are
perhaps the worst in the world. In
the words of recent report from the
field, The entire present generation
in Poland is facing immediate starya-
ton" American money allotted to
Poland was used in the purchasing of
emergency food supplies. The fact
that the territory is held by the Ger
mans makes it impossible to deal with
the problem in the way that is being
applied to the destitute regions of
France. Moreover. the British Red
Cross, since the beginning of the war
has raised enormous sums for the
Polish sufferers.
The work in France promises to be-
come the most deliberately organized
and comprehensive thing of it's kind
that the world has ever seen. A val
liable service is rendered the war cause
even by civilian relief work, for much
of it benefits the families of the men
in the French army. The conscious
ness that his kindred are being ade-
Quately cared for is an important
factor in keeping up the morale of a
man in the front line.
Expel ditures in France so far have
been divided quite evenly between civ
ilan and military relief The care of
the wa orphans and homeless chill
dren OF the northern provinces and
the fight against tuberculosis are the
most striking features of the civilian
work. Both of these are of vital i'm
d
before the war, the French birth rate
and death rate were approximately
equal. In 1915, the death rate, even
aside from war casualties, had reach
ed 20 per thousand, and the birth
rat ha fallen to eight per thousand.
There was net loss in population of
almost per cen in single year.
This was largely due to the enormous
mortality among young Children
circumstance at once the most pathetic
and the most serious economically
that the war has brought to France.
The Red Cross is taking charge of
great number os "repatriated" chill
dren from the occupied northern dis
tricts, gathering together the home
less in the war zone-many of them
little tots living in caves and ruins
and esta blishing relief centers. This
is feature of the work that is sure
to grow with time, ard is certainly
deserving of all. the support that
American money can give it.
Fighting the high death rate from
tuberculosis is a branch which will
also grow in Importance. Half a mil
lion people in France have been added
to the rolls of the tubercular as
direct result of the war. Control of
the plagu-, is not only vitality impor-
int to France, but also to the health
of American troops Quartered in the
country. Most of this work is being
done by native French workers.
Such relief work in France cannot
be called pure altruisrn from the ma
tional standpoint. France is in need
of the assistance because the majority
of her men are il. the army. Our own
military forces require preparation,
but into the medical and relief work
we are able to throw considerable
number of trained people from the
beginning
Civilian relief work has thousand
other branches, all of them impor-
tant. The rebuilding of ruined vii
lagos. for example. has called for
large sum. The branches lof military
relief are better known. including hos
pitals. canteens, ambulance work and
so forth. Altogether. s40,000.0 600 will
he needed in Erance to