Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1918-03-08
PROMPT WORK SAVES LIVES
Twenty Thousand Blankets Rushed to
Camp Bowie When Men Suf-
fered for Lack of Bedding
Mo Red Tape Here.

camps and cantonments by the Red
Cross since the mobilization of the
National army was begun.
This information is contained in a
report made to the Washington head
quarters of the American Red Cross
by Stanley Stoner, director of military
relief for the Southwestern division of
the organization.
Stoner's report is proof positive of
the support the Red Cross is giving
the War Department in fitting Ameri-
can soldiery for winning the war. That
no other agency outside the War De-
partment itself is so potent factor to
that end is recognized and admitted
generally. Every supporter of the Red
Cross well may feel that he or she &C
tually is helping to save the world for
democracy and to crush the unspeak-
able house of Hohenzollern.
The report made by Director Stoner
shows that 100000 sweaters were dis
tributed up to Feb. ! to soldiers in
eight large camps and environments,
several smaller camps and TO the army
which constantly is on guard on the
Mexican border. But sweaters was
only one of 200 items provided. 1t was
impossible for the War Department to
foresee many requirements of the sol
diers, and in many instances, when
necessity arose for supplies of differ
ent kinds, it was impossible to get
army acquisitions through fast enough
to handle the situation. Field direc-
tors in the different camps, always on
the alert for such emergencies and
armed with authority to spend money
freely when necessity arose, stepped
in and provided whatever was needed
for the comfort and well-being of the
men.
From Spoons to Automobiles.
In addition to the sweaters, 44.370
mufflers were distributed. Other items
| were as follows: Socks, 56,373; blan-
kets, 1850; wristlets, 27,S54; helmets,
5,109; Christmas packages, 116, 1857;
automobiles, 4; comforts, 1888. The
| automobiles were touring cars neces-
sary for the proper transportation of
sick soldiers from their quarters to
hospitals. Nearly 100000 items, 571,-
925 to be exact, we're distributed.
Their diversity is illustrated by the
| following list taken from Director
Stoner's report: Towels, pajamas,
comfort kits, playing cards, tooth
brushes, tooth paste, condensed milk,
oil heaters, drugs, bed sheets, pillow
cases, rubber gloves, soup, foot pow
| der, shoes, magazines, books, slippers,
wash cloths, bath robes, hot-water bot
ties, window curtains, bath rugs, ice
picks, egg heaters, spoons, electric
plates, knives, spoons, gowns, apples,
oranges, lemons, nuts, foot warmers,
rubber sheets, ice bags, boilers, bed
room slippers, gloves, ear muffs, domi-
noes, rubber sheets, cots, auto trucks,
fly swatters, soup strainers, pneu-
monia jackets, chickens, dish rags,
combs, Victrola, quilts.
And wherever the Red Cross is at
work in these camps, which means all
of them, soldiers are praising it. They
call it Uncle Sans right-hand man"
which tells the story well enough and
true.
Service Which Saves Lives.
Nothing illustrates better what the
Red Cross means to the soldiers in the
Southwestern camps and cantonments
than an occurrence at Camp Bowie,
Fort Worth, Tex. When the December
blizzard struck the camp it found the
men unprepared for it. One thousand
soldiers fell i'll in "a hours. More than
1000 were i'll ~ hours after the bliz-
zard hit Many of them were threat
ened with pneumonia. Many had pneu,
monia. There was insufficient bedding
The government was unable to take
care of the situation. Charles w. Con
merry, field director for the Red Cross
at Camp Bowie, bought every blanke;
he could get in Fort Worth and other
headquarters at St. Louis for more,
Within 4S hours after the blizzard
struck, Connery turned over 10000
blankets to the commandment of the
camp, without any cost to the govern
ment whatever. Undoubtedly this
quick work saved the lives of many
soldiers.
That is the sort OF work the Red
Cross is doing for $50, 900 American
soldiers in the Southwestern camps
and environments, likewise in every
camp and cantonment in the United
States. That is how money given to
the Red Cross is spent in military
relief.