Gilpin observer., 1918-11-14
RED CROSS NOTES

Washington.-Relief work on a far
greater scale than is now being admin
istered by the American Red Cross
among the civilian populations of the
Holy Land is Immediately necessary II
are to be saved. This fact is empha-
sized in a cable received at Red Cross
headquarters from DR.. John H. Finley.
Red Cross Commissioner for Palestine.
and Commissioner of Education of the
state Of New York.
One-third OF the population Of Lebanon
has died Of starvation and disease due
to lack of nourishment, many villages
are depopulated and In ruins. and thos-
ands OF persons are in the direst need
as the result OF epidemics. prohibitive
prices of food and inability to get work.
according to DR.. Finley. Families for
meriy in the best circumstances have
been reduced to destitution. Everywhere
the people are clamoring for an early
opportunity to rehabilitate themselves.
Conditions in many Of the hospitals
are deplorable because OF the shortage
OF physicians. More than 10000 sick civ
ilians have been cared for by the Red
Cross in single month and Red Cross
automobiles are transporting hundreds Of
wounded and sick prisoners to the hos
pitals every day. There are 10000 Ar
menian refugees in and about Damas
Gus and 5000 more in the Hauran dis
trict. the cable states.
DIR. Finley says the Red Cross work.
ers have been doing everything to re-
lieve the distress. but adds that greatly
increased help must come at once. He
| recommends that the American Red
Cross send two additional hospital units
to the Holy Land as soon as possible.
This recommendation has been approv-
ed by General Allenby. at whose request
| the British War office has taken the
matter up with the Red Cross.
DR.. Finley made the journey on foot
from Beersheba to. Ban In the wake Of
the advancing British forces. At the
time OF sending the cable message he
had just completed a tour Of Palestine
and lower Syria. passing through Nag
areth. Tiberius. Tyre. Sidon. Haifa and
Beirut, reaching the latter place two
days after its occupation. DIR. Finley
was present at the opening of the fall
session of the Beirut college.
| "Amercia should be the first to help
In the rehabilitation of the Holy Land
which Great Britain and her Allies have
redeemed says DR.. Finley. 1.-The first
medium of help should be the American
Red Cross which makes no distinction
of race or faith. Under the trusteeship
Of those who recovered this sacred land.
which is the cradle Of three great re-
ligions. the civilized world Is now given
an opportunity for illustrating the de-
velopment of It's highest ideals for hu-
manity.''
Only few days are left In which to
send Christmas packages to soldiers ov-
| erseas.
| Remember no package will be accept
ed by the Red Cross for delivery to the
postoffice authorities unless accompanied
by a coupon received from some MEM
ber of the American Expeditionary For
ces.
| When you are ready to send your
package bring the articles and the cou-
pom to the Red Cross room. where 1t
VIII De inspected, piaceu III Sai'o"'
and wrapped. The parcel when wrap
ped must not weigh more than three
pounds
The person sending the package is re-
quired, in the presence OF the Red Cross
inspector, to affix sufficient stamps to
carry the package to Hoboken. New
Jersey. It costs SO cents to send
package weighing three pounds.
The parcel must be left In the Gus
tody of the Red Cross which will deliv-
er 1t to the postal authorities
November 20 is the last day on which
Christmas packages may be sent to
boys over there.
HERMINA PECK.
Chairman of the Publicity Committee.