The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-12-11
RED Cross HAS A
NOBLE TASK Aa.EAD
Mai. Gen edwards Just Back From
the Front CITES Cases Ia Signed
Article.
sY MAJ. GEN. CLARENCE r.
EDWARDS.
Commander DEPARTMENT Of Northeast
U. S. A.


The Red Cross has great work
ahead OF it, a very great work. no.
bic work. We don't yet realize now
great tllls work is 10 be, rigAt here II
New England. but We snail ,~o"
better IN few weeks, Ehna our
wounded boys are here, and better
still in a year i.ym now, waen We
have seen them with our oS,n eyes
md have heard their stories.
The work that the Red Crocs has
done in France has been great and
useful When We arrived ,here We
were in terrible need OF tents and
BLANKETS. Whea We had done our
best there was sill. need. Thon the
Red Cross s,eppsd in, without any
useless red tape and found US the
tents and the bhr,ots, and saw to II
that our New En- I'D boys were kept
comfortable ~ means a great
deal TO a boy whom he is three thou
sand miles away i.om home and cold
and wet. The Red Cross will be busy
in France and Belrhm for a long ne
yet, with the people in the devastated
regions and wi our own boys. But
the work that caa't help thinking Of
most the work dearest to me. Is that
which win be absolutely necessary for
our boys here ana for their families,
right in our midst.
Every day get scores Of letters
from the relatives Of our boys. Some
OF them are most pathetic-lhey take
a hold en- my heart They come from
the mothers OF our boys. mothers who
do not know where their boys are,
and who are sick with worry. moth
ers who know that their boys have
been wounded but wish to learn more
about them, to case their terrible
anxiety. mothers who wish to know
when their dead boys Will be sent
home.
Letters come f.om widows whose
only sons are in the army in France
and who are dependent on these sons
4 There mothers are sometimes in
great need of financial aid. and they
are afraid that their government al
lotments viii not arrive in time. They
need money for food and for rent
Here is a letter from a widow who's.
son has been wounded and is nov II
the hospital in another state. He
cannot yet be discharged, but he f
her only support, and she writes 4,
tell me her needs because unless hell
comes she IS going TO suffer
Last year these mothers were send
ing boxes at Thanksgiving time t,
their boys This ear many OF then
are waiting. while ;hey weep. for IN
terrible box that will bring the bod
Of the dear son homo TO them. Thes
mothers are the rishtful care of IN
Red Cross. AMI what work It ca
do for them.
On our boat coming home were ] S
crippled men, coming back 20 max
their way again. Another boat start
ed the same day with as many NOR,
Some Of those boys have only on
arm, some have only one leg, som
J. win not see their mothers face b.
cause they are blind What is goiu
to become of those boys who hay
given all that they could? Many
hem cannot hold their I'd places
work. Where VIII they ind ne
ones? No nobler work .An be don
/. Than fer hy Red Cross to see to
n mat they are made comfortable, N;
@ they are looked after until they al
e settled again And they must n,
come back to homes that have be,
uprooted while they were aeay. III
Red Cross can mike them most hal
py by having their homes safe +,
Il them, and their mothers and siste
we'll
r. One Of the best things about n
n Red Cross is that it has no red ;au
II II gees straight TO the heart OF thin,
e at once, and wastes no time.
d help is sure and quick, and IN
IS means everything | hope that Il
D. Red Cross can see to It that no m,
; shall be found, year from now wi
, an empty sleeve or on crutches. vi
20 is wandering the streets looking (
a. work. We don't yet know what
s. an means, but we are ing to III
II. out pretty soon when the boys a
A here again
The Red Cross has a great and
very nOblp task ahend