Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-19

"TASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 1.-THE work OF
wv the American Red Cross is going forward
w both sides of the Atlantic on an enor-
nous scale The last detailed report Of the or
ganization on November 1, showed appropriations
totaling $4O,OOO,O0O Since that date the sums
approved for expenditure have risen to figure
estimated at S80,00O,000. Certain items in this
total will eventually be credited again to the
fund; for example, the money spent for art1-
cles for resale to local chapters, and sum OF
$4,000 900 which represents supplies for France
included in the budget of the French commission
but the size of the net appropriations is a sig
nifcant index of the magnitude of the work being
carried on
The public has backed up the Red Cross in a
way that exceeded expectations. The total MEM
bership today is over 100000. 1t has become
''everybody's Red Cross to greater extent than
the sanguine hoped for, and everybody is in
terested in the way its 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
the misdelivery of pair of knitted socks, Is
pretty effectively silenced.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the ap-
propriations the fact that than half OF the
money is spent in France. This is due partly to
the that the needs Of the French civilians In
the war zone are particularly great and partly be-
cause of the continually increasing number Of
American troops in that country. Broadly speak
ing" says the Red Cross, "the first and supreme
object of the American Red Cross is to care for our
army and navy"
But almost every other country in Europe is a
field of operations. Belgium, Russia, Rumania
Serbia, Italy, Poland, Great Britain. Armenia and
Syria included in the list Of major appropria-
lions. The amount of money to be ex-
pended in each of these countries is measure or
the conditions there but rather represents the eff
fectiveness with which the American organization
apply relief program in view of local condi-
tions.
The work in Poland. for example, has only called
for a sum of 5000, 900 far, although conditions
in Poland are perhaps the worst in the world. In
the words of a recent report from the field, THE
entire present generation in Poland is facing i'm
mediate starvation American money allotted to
Poland used in the purchase of emergency food
supplies The fact that the territory is held by
the Germans 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 become the
most deliberately organized and comprehensive
thing of its kind that the world has ever seen. A
valuable service is rendered the cause by
civilian relief work, for much of it benefits the
families of men in the Franch army. The
cared for is an important factor in keeping up
the morale of in the front line.
Expenditures in France far have di-
vided quite evenly between civilian and military
relief The care of the war orphans and homeless
against tuberculosis the most striking features
of the civilian work. Both of these of vital
Importance to the future of France. Even before
the war the French birth rate and death rate were
approximately equal. In 1916 the death rate, even
aside from war casualties. had reached 20 per
thousand, and the birth rate had fallen to 8 per
thousand. There was net loss in population OF
almost two per cent in single year. This was