The Washington herald., 1918-05-24
MERCY FUNDS
SAFEGUARDED
BY OFFICIALS
How $l05,000,0O0 Com
forted Peoples in All
Lands.

tan coin. It travels everywhere.
reaching the remote corners Of the
earth. 1t goes wherever there is Red
Cross work to do.
There Is romance in the journeyinss
of this coin, for II reaches right into
the heart. Of the Red Cross story
and there is no story in the war that
Is more interesting. none other which
so yiyidly sympoblizes the new bona
between America and Europe.
Red Gross accounts are made In
every known form of currency. They
range from shekels and roubles to yen
and lei. The monthly Red Cross
audit is the most international af-
fair imaginable.
The Red Cross has 80 advance ac-
counts, and is disbursing about
ss.oo0.ooo a month. with nearly 2.2S
vouchers covering these disburse-
ments.
In the first war fund drive OF last
June, more than $1O5.000.O00 was con-
tributed-or practically one dollar for
every man. woman and child in the
country. The collection OF this huge
a task as determining how it should
be spent. The Red Cross really was
acting not as an independent body.
but as steward and trustee for the
generosity Of the American people.
Its first duty as an efficient trustee
was a duty of Interpretation of how
Americans wished their money to be
spent.
Careful watch.
Therefore the Red Cross dollar Is
always the center OF q searching and
unrelenting Interrogation: Where can
this money best be used?" In many
cases the Red Cross officials can ex-
ercise no initiative in the matter. for
many contributions are made for a
special purpose. Here are a few Of
the restricted contributions received
in January:
An item from the Russian Ambas-
sador for the benefit of Russian
refugees: a contribution from a church
in the Philippines for the help Of
widows and the sick: an amount to
be used for buying tobacco for Amer
lean prisoners of war; an item to be
used for work in the aerial service;
a contribution Of Sc for the benef1t
Of Serbian babies: another contribu-
ton for relief work for babies IN the
flood district of China: a sum to be
used for the benefit of Belgian SOL
diers in Paris-not for Belgian soldiers
in Belgium or in any part of France
other than Paris: a contribution OF
sls.7S from Q small Sunday school in
California to be used for the beneft
Of Chinese in France; a contribution
brother. who gave up their own
Christmas tree and Christmas pres
ents in order that they might send
a contribution to the Red Cross to
be used in providing Christmas trees
for homeless French and Belgian chill
dren.
OF course, the vast ma ajority OF the
Red Cross millions are given without
any restrictions. and upon the War
Council devolyes the great RESPONSE
bility Of applying it to the myriads
appeals for relief that come to il.
The Allies First.
When the problem first was faced, it
was decided that Americas first duty
and first thought should be for her
allies, rather than for herself. In the
year of preparation for active military
participation in the war the main
stream OF Red Cross energies has
been in Europe, rather than at home;
and when the Red Cross turned to
analyZe the situation In Europe, 1t
found a condition of devastation and
suffering so far transcendine its own
capacity or means of alienation, or
that Of any other human agency.
that the only question was how to
employ the funds at his disposal most
effectively
Up to the present time. more than
$440OoOoo Of the millions derived from
the first Red Cross war fund drive
have been spent for relief abroad;
and OF this sum more than $50, ,OOO. 900
mas gone to France. France not only
has borne the major burden of this
greatest Of war since the start. but
u has been the scene of its mightiest
battles Moreover, it is the land in
which American troops will give bat
tie to the enemy. and it is the ira
dltional friend of our country. There
lore, France came first in the Red
Cross budget; but the other war
stricken nations have not been over
looked
Italian Relief.
Upon Italian relief nearly 1900 900
has been spent; for Belgium, more
than 100000 has been appropriated:
for Rumania, 2.s0o, 900; for Serbia,
$1,000; for Great Britain, 81 1,TO3, 600;
for Rqssia. s50. .00o-the latter largely
for the shipment Of condensed p1ilk To
the starving children of Petrograd,
Appropriations for the American
army and navy cover a multitude OF
actiyities-the Bureau Of Camp Sery-
ice Is spending more than 5000, 900 in
us werk. The United States Sanitary
Service, guarding the health of the
soldiers In the cantonments, has been
given appropriations reaching sSs4, ,O0O
and the medical and hospital work Of
the Red Cross has cost to date more
than 100000
From more than $500 Red Cross
chapter workFooms, huge supply
of knit articles are coming every
month-more than 1,4OO,O0O sweaters
have been distributed up to the pres
snt.
Mnk~. F