Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-19
MILLIONS FOR MERCY
Gigantic Rapidly Being Expended World
Work

largely due to the enormous mortality among
young Children circumstance at once the most
pathetic and the most serious economically that
the war has brought to France The Red Cross is
taking charge of great numbers of ''repatriated"
children from the occupied northern districts,
gathering together the homeless in the war zone
many of them little tots living in caves and ruins
and establishing relief centers. This is feature
of the work that is sure to grow with time and is
certainly deserving of all the support that Amer
lean money can give it.
Fighting the high death rate from tuberculosis
is branch which will also grow in Importance.
Half million people in France have been added
to the rolls Of the tubercular direct result of
the war Control of the plague is not only vitality
important to France, but also to the health of
American troops quartered in the country. Most
of this work is being done by native French
workers.
Such relief work in France cannot be called
pure altruism from the national standpoint France
is in need of the assistance because the mar1ority
OF her in the army. Our own military
forces require preparation, but into the medical
and relief work are able to throw considerable
number of trained people from the beginning
Civilian relief work has thousand other
branches, all of them important. The rebuilding
of ruined villages, for example, has called for
large sum. The branches of military relief
better known, including hospitals, canteens am
bulance work and so forth. Altogether, $4,000
900 will probably be needed in France up to the
30th of April of this var. By that time the organ
ization will be operating scale which will re-
what may be necessary for expansion, but there is
little doubt that any necessary funds will be forth
coming when the American people realize the need
The most important recent development in the
Red Cross program has been the increase Of money
appropriated for Italian relief The recent Italian
retreat made hundreds of thousands of civilians
hungry and homeless. An emergency appropria-
ton of almost s., 000, 500 was made to meet the
situation and the work rushed to the greatest
possible extent. Not only physical relief pro-
vided but an indirect result Of the work proved of
unexpected importance
This was the political effect of the presence of
American relief workers. American ambulances
and American food The entire Italian nation
honeycombed with German propaganda. One tale
that the Germans spread to the effect that the
United States would not stand by Italy because
feared to antagonize Austria-Hungary. American
Red Cross work was the only means available for
counteracting this falsehood for American
troops could be sent and congress was not In ses-
sion to put the nation on record But the Red
Cross workers succeeded in dispelling the misap-
prehension. As the man in charge cahled, What
ever we have done failed to do, we have raised
the American flag from one end Of Italy to the
other"
Gagged by the size OF the appropriations, the
greater part of Red Cross work abroad in the i'm
mediate future will be done in France After
mania A recent investigating commission showed
Serbia in dire need of assistance.
Never before has such sum total OF human
misery confronted the worlds relief workers. The
expansion of the American Red Cross enables
America to take part in the task commensurate
with her wealth and importance. So far, the work
has been done economically and efficiently, in a
business-like way and long as this continues to
he the case the Red Cross count on the united
support of the people.