The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-24
RED CROSS PRESENTS
MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Says Handwriting Is Backed and
Encouraged by U. S. Gov
eminent. Frs

eminent. f'
The following is an article taken
from the st. Petersburg (Florida) In.
dependents
Regarding recent article in the
Literary Digest calculated to discour.
age the knitting of sweaters, sox and
other hand.knit articles by women
workers of the Red Cross Chairman
X. II. Thomas. OF the local Red Cross
chapter, stated today that he did not
know whether or not the writer of the
article was pro-German, but that Pres
ident Wilson. who is also president
of the National Red Cross, together
with other leading officials of the
organization, take an entirely differ
ent view of the knitting question from
the hitherto unknown writer, who con
tributed the article to Massachu
sets paper, from which 1t was copied
by the Literary Digest.
Handwriting Is backed and en-.
couraged by the United States gov,
eminent, through national Red Cross
headquarters, especially at this time.
Mr., Thomas says. He also states that
the government has already assigned
to thesRed Cross It's supply of wool
and a consignment of yarn has-re.
Gently been shipped to the chaDter
here with Instructions to continue
handwriting with renewed energy. 2
Mr.. Thomas says that the Red
Cross is under direct orders from the
war department, and that he has re-
ceived information from headquarters
that owing TO the unforeseen magni.
tude TO which the Red Cross produc-
ton OF hospital supplies has grown.
there is an ample supply OF these
supplies for the present, and that the
energies OF the surgical dressing and
hospital supply workers are to be
largely diverted to knitting. He
states that the chapters and all who
knit for the soldiers are urged 10
bay their woods direct from the Red
Cross, as they have an ample supply
for the purpose, and this viii not en-.
coach upon the wool supply allotted
for civilian needs
3 Red Cross ladies' nj headquarters IN
the city hall are up in arms and much
incensed over the story in the Liter
airy Digest 10 the effect that no more
wool would be furnished the Red
Cross for sweaters, sox and other
hand knitting. a
Mrs. John c, Blocker declares her
belief that such stories are the result
OF German propaganda, and several
other of the Red Cross ladies' here
agree with her. They believe that the
Literary Digest has innocently been
imposed on as to the facts, citing that
the chapter here has just recently re-
ceived n large supply of knitting wool
with urgent Instructions from the
southern Red Cross headquarters at
Atlanta TO continueethe knitting with
all energy in view of the approach OF
winter when the sweaters and sox
will be badly needed
The obnoxious article in the Liter
airy Digest was written by one Samuel
5. Dale, gentleman whom the ladies
had never heard Of and had original.
ly appeared in the Brookline Mass
Chronicle. from which II was taken
by the Literary Digest. The article
alleges that knitting by hand was
great waste of time, energy and wool.
that the work can be done by ,machin
ery much better and more economi.
cally, and that the government needs
50 per cent Of the entire wool crop
for soldiers uniforms and other mil.
itary necessities. II also states that
the hand.knit articles lack durability
and are mostly not needed in actual
service.
In refutation OF the article the
ladies' point to the following official
statement from the Red Cross Bullein.
issued from national headquarters al
Washington, June oath. e.u
Following the recent announce.
ment by the war Industries board thar
the government had taken over the
entire wool clip OF the country for the
ensuing year, plans have been an.
nounced for the handling of all avail.
able wool in order that the immedi.
ate military needs of the government
be satisfied.
Stringent methods for the conser.
walton of raw wool for military pur.
poses had become so necessary that a
conference was called between rebre.
seniatives OF the wool commodities
section OF the war industries hoard
and the American Red Cross. AT the
& ose of the conference the following
Jolnt statement was authorized:
III is obvious that the first allot.
ment OF this wool must first 20 to the