Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-08
SPIRIT TO Win
WAR KEPT UP
BY RED CROSS
AMERICAN AID HEARTENS
FRANCE AND HER ALLIES.
Major Murphy, Who Had Charge
of Relief Work Abroad, Describes
Seven Months Achievements.
BY MAJ. eRAYsoN M. P.MuRPHY.

(Retiring Red Cross Commissioner
to Europe, who was in charge of war
relief operations abroad for sever
months. Major Murphy soon will re-
turn to France to join General PERISH
Ing's staff In a purely military capa-
city,
This is a war not of armies. 1t is
a war of nations. There is not a man
or woman or child in Great Britain, in
Belgium, in France or in Italy that is
not a factor in this war. 1t is not the
armies of France that are the essen
tial thing to France in his war, nor
the armies of England, nor the armies
of the other allies.
Those armies will do their part and
do 1t to a finish II they are supported
by the people behind. The great cry
ing need in Europe today Is to build
up the spirit and keep up the spirit of
the people behind the lines. 1t Is that
great work which the Red Cross
thanks not to those on the other side,
but to the people on this side-has
performed. 1t is his work that has
made the American Red Cross the lar
gest known single factor since our
entry into the war.
The American Red Cross, beginning
Its operations in France, went into a
country hat was stripped by three
years of war. There is very little that
can be bought on the other side in the
way of supplies and material. There
is very little that can be had in the
way of human power. The Red Cross
had to import practically all the labor
needed In its undertaking. 1t had also
to get together supplies from places
other than in Europe itself.
The Red Cross on arriving in France
started Immediately the construction
of a great system of transportation
and warehouses. This system is very
complicated. The government had oc-
cupied practically all the points de-
sirable for warehouse sites.
warehouses crammed With Stuff"
But the Red Cross has a system of
warehouses, beginning at eight of the
principal ports in France. In Paris it
has great base warehouses. All along
the front, particularly in Belgium, all
the way down to and along the French
line, along that down to Italy and
along the Italian line, at the seaports
and along railway routes the Red
Cross has warehouses, crammed with
stuff at points where 1t can get hold
of it when trouble comes.
To supplement this warehouse sys-
TEN, it has about 500 ambulances and
motor trucks concentrated in Paris
and others distributed at various
points so that in case of an emergency
the Red Cross ear use them to get
quick action anywhere along the front.
The Department of Civil Affairs is
working among the children of France.
1t hopes, in cooperation with the
French government, to be able to re-
duce, in due course, the number of
deaths of young infants In France
from $4,000 a year to 10000 a year.
These little tots are brought back
from the districts where they are I'M
der gas fire. They are too small to
wear a gas mask and consequently
they would be killed. From TOule
ambulances move around in the coun-
try. There are clinics where our doc
tors and nurses care for the sick, par
ticularly children, who cannot other
wise get treatment because all the doc
tors have been called into the service.
Fighting tuberculosis.
In conjunction with the Rockefeller
Foundation it is conducting a work
against tuberculosis, which is certain
ly unparalleled in the history of the
world. France has suffered greatly
from tuberculosis as a result of the
people living in unwholesome dugouts.
tuberculosis has developed in the
trenches toO
Working with the Rockefeller Foun-
dalton, the Red Cross has put into eff
feet a system of education in France,
81 system to care for bad cases in SAM
itoriums and a system which will lead
TO the establishment of 300 dispense
ries throughout France, with visiting
nurses attached.
In the military division the Red
Cross is carrying on an extraordinary
work with the French, with the Bel
pians, with the Italians and, to a GER
tain minor extent, with the British,
and with our own people. 1t has a
system of canteens. 1t has rolling
canteens which are operating right up
In the trenches, where the soldiers are
given hot drinks. In December 225,-
O soldiers were served hot drinks
in this way. Red Cross men worked
under shell fire all the time. When
the gas comes over them they wear
a masks. They are great pals with
the Soldiers.
In conjunction with the French gov
ernment the Red Cross Is feeding-not