The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-03-11
THE STORY OF THE RED CROSS HOW IT WORKS IN WAR TIME

3.-To continue to carry on a syS- tenn of national and international re- lief in time of peace and to apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods and other great national ca lamities and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same.
 The President of the United States. who is also the President of the American Red Cross. in general or ders to the war department dated December 27. 1911, stated more specifically the obligations of the American Red Cross in war times. The Presidents Proclamation. That the American National Red Cross is the only volunteer so- eiety authorized by this government to render aid to the land and naval forces In time of war.
 2.-That any other society desiring to render similar assistance can do % only thru the American Red Cross. 3.-That to comply with the re- quirements of Article 10 of the Inter- national Red Cross convention of 1916 Provision of the treaty of Ge- neva). that part of the American National Red Cross rendering aid to the land and naval forces will con stitute part of the sanitary service thereof.
 That when any member of the American National Red Cross re- ports for duty with the land or naval forces of the United States. pursuant to proper call, he will thereafter be subject to military laws and regu- lations.
 Section 2 of the act of 1912 author. izes the transportation and subsis- tence of the Red Cross personnel and the transportation of Red Cross supplies at the cost of the United States while proceeding to their place of duty, while serving thereat, and while returning therefrom.
 It will be seen from the foregoing that not only is the Red Cross the only medium whereby the people of the United States may render aid to the men of their army and navy, but if aid is not rendered thru it's agency, the personnel of our fighting force receive only the barest necessities of camp and field, and the chances of their happiness when we'll, and recovery when wounded, are greatly reduced. We have drafted and mobi- lized the young men of the nation, into the army and navy. The Ameri- can Red Cross, the veteran authority of war relief, has drafted and mobi. lized the very heart and soul of the nation.
 How is this great work, which is not charity but an organized part of the War Department of our na- tional government. to be carried on during the time of world war?
 In the first place, there are re- cruited from the Red Cross the am bulance unit that go to France and Russia to carry men from the trench es to the base-hospitals. Each am- bulance company consists of 124 men; officers. privates to drive the ambulances, mechanics to take care of the cars, cooks. etc. The men wear the regular United States medi- cal reserve corps uniform. They are volunteers chiefly from the colleges of the country Ca unit went from the University of Washington last spring. headed by the University physician), <, and are often exposed to great dan- ger. Calls for ambulances to move the wounded come at any time and neither the darkness of night or shot-shelled roads hinder the Red Cross ambulance driver when he has orders to set out.
 Then there are the Red Cross base hospital units. These hospitals are back of the line of trenches and are equipped with beds for 500 men. Trained nurses. doctors and dentists, and specialists in all kinds of diseas- es and surgery are working there day and night to nurse men back to health. Last fall there were more than 2.000 Red Cross nurses in ac- tive service. with 5000 more on the way or in readiness as soon as equipment could be provided.
 At the front, when a soldier comes from the trenches, tired and dirty, on his way home on furlough, he often has to wait days for a train to take him out. Near the station he finds what Is known as a Red Cross can teen. AS he enters the door in search of food, he sees American women in the Red Cross uniform standing back of porcelain-lined counter, pouring coffee, ladling soup. and passing out sandwiches as fast as they>can work. The line of sol diers fed at this counter is intending. 5000 day. Here. for thirteen cents. our soldiers may get a meal of soup. beef or lamb. vegetable salad. cheese. pudding or fruit. cof.