The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-17
READY To LAUNCH GREAT DRIVE
FOR RED CROSS WAR FUND ON MONDAY
Will Precede Canvass of City by Military Pagan,
With $4,000 Persons on Sunday Afternoon

Everything In virtually In readiness
for the part that Richmond will play
the week OF May % 10 81 in the sec
end sfo0, GEO 600 campaign for the
Red Cross war fund with the open
ing of headquarters nj SIG East Main
street Yesterday 10y the campaign com
mittee the work % whipping into
shape final definite plans for the drie o
Will he accomplished speedily,
An impressive military aud Red
Cross pageant SUNDAY afternoon, in
which 81. 600 people VIII take part.
will precede the solicitation % funds
In this city. Well known Richmond
men. who are identified with the work
of the Red Cross and speaker Of
national prominence Will address a
monster mass meeting In the City
Auditorium Immediately after the
parade. CAPITOL square viii he the
starting point for the pageant. which
leaves there at ; 80 o'clock and moves
westward TO the auditorium.
What does the Rcd Cross do"
An answer 10 this question Is con
tanned ia the following statement is
sued last night
The Red Cross work - not only
the making of surgical hapdages socks
and sweaters. nor the providing of
nurses, physicians and hospital sup
plies. Such service * important but
beyond that IL the great Red Cross
work Of looking after the families OF
men who need help. The quiet word
of announcement. the benefit OF ad-
vice, sympathy and fellowship Is given
from the heart and without publicity.
In France. where French soldiers
are coming back from the trenches on
furlough, canteens have been erected
by the Red Cross in order that the men
might have lodging, food baths and
clean resting place. In France, 100,
the Red Cross supplies fuel food and
shelter to the soldiers families, SO
that the men are prepared % stick to
the end, full of courage and ginger.
Less than a week after the Italian
breakdown, the Red Cross was in Italy
with long lines OF freight cars loaded
with surgical supplies. food and cloth
ing for civilians. Aid was extended to
the thousands of refugees fleeing be
fore the German invaders. Within
ten days after the Germans We're on
Italian soil. three unpaid workers of
tho Red Cross were goiug through
Italy with thousands OF dollars in
cash--not in checks but cash--on
their person distributing emergency
aid to the stricken population.
Again, the Red Cross is helping to
build up French and Belgian villages.
A corps of skilled engineers is super
intending the actual physical work,
Red Cross money is helping refugees
to rehahiiitate themselves, lending
them money to buy furniture. their
first stores of food. and to make their
first start In agriculture
Men give their time gladly for the
sheer love of service, knowing that
there are no rewards. no promotions
and no glory. Technically trained
people are working among the chill
dren and the tuhercular. The Red
Cross completed half-tinished tuber-
cular hospital abandoned by the
French during the war, turned 1t over
to its French owners and did not even
reserve the right 10 send single
patient there.
To-day ten Red Cross automobiles
are carrying to Red Cross hospitals in
France. French children whose
parents are held in slavery in Ger
many The children, poor. diseased
and starved. are fed, nursed, dressed
and made we'll This work is inn
portant to keep up the French morale
and to build up a strong morale in the
United States. These deeds of the Red
Cross are just as mucht part of our
military policy in France and Italy
as though they were done under ar
ticles OF war, where we are spending
millions this minute to help the strick-
en- people.
Every man or woman who gives to
support the Red Cross is helping our
cause from an angle of attack that Is