Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-03-29
HURRY CALL FOR
MORE DRESSINGS
Red Cross Branch to Enlarge
Already Large Output
Message Brought from Boston Meeting
Gen. Pershing Has Asked Red Cross
for Tremendous Number. IS

Mrs. II. r. Britain and Mrs. j. G..
Estey returned Wednesday from Bos-
ton, where they went to attend meet
ing of the New England division of
the American Red Cross. The meeting
was held that day in, the Hotel Bruins
wick and was attended by nearly 400
women from all over New England.
The purpose of the meeting was to
speed up the Emaking of surgical dress
ings and addresses were made by
James Jackson, New England division
manager of the Red Cross, and by DR..
Walter Kimball, in charge of surgical
dressings; demonstrations as to the
proper methods of making the dress
ings were made by DR.. Wadsworth.
The women in attendance at this
meeting were instructed to take this
message to their Rcd Cross chapters
and branches at home:
The Red Cross is now an auxiliary
of the United States government, and
the government has given it certain
definite orders for certain number of
surgical dressings The New England
division has been honored in being re-
CURED to supply one-fifth of the en-
tire amount In filing this tremendous
order, the Red Cross is actually work
ing for the government just as much
as some of our men of big business af
fairs who arc putting in all their time
| in Washington and drawing a salary of
ono dollar a year.
In fact the Red Cross workers who
take part in making these dressings are
really working for the soldiers OF the
United States army at the front. The
orders come from Gen. Pershing's med
zeal board composed of the ablest med.
ical men in the world. All instructions
for dressings come direct from that
board. There can be no more thought
of failing to comply with the orders
and furnish the required number of
dressings than there could be of a sol
dier's questioning the commands of his
superior or failing to yield implicit
obedience The orders are direct from
the government must be obeyed and
| it is up to the women of New England
and the women of Brattleboro to do
their part
The responsibility rests not with the
committees or the officers or the
branches but with the individuals who
must do the work.
Allotments giving the quantities re-
CURED will be made to chapters about
April ! and will be based not on the
amount of work previously done nor on
the number of workers, but upon the
population. Vermont 3 output must be
doubled and trebled. The work has
not even been started, according ,to
Mr.. Jackson. The need is urgent fol
dressings, more dressings and yet more
dressings! "t
| Most of these dressings to be made
on government orders are for use in
the front line trenches and first aid
dugouts, and delay is dangerous. When
men are wounded they cannot be taken
to hospitals for from to 10 hours;
they must receive immediate attention
in the dugouts to save their lives. There
must be an enormous reserve of dress
ings at every point, for it is of course
impossible to tell where tho need will
be the greatest.
| There are SO Red Cross trucks carry
ing supplies from scaports to ware
houses continually
The gauzo for the government work
is TO he furnished by the government
without charge to the Red Cross and
must be used for this work only. The
regular dressings will be made from
gauzc bought by each branch as in the
past.
The regular work of the Red Cross
must continue in addition to the spc
Ieial government dressings. The regular
dressings for hospitals should be turned
out in quantities twice as great as al
present. The sewing and knitting
should continue, but must not prevent
the workers from doing all the dress
ings that are required.