The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-25
Warm Weather Should Not
Slow Up Red Cross Work.
Topekans Warned Not To
Think Needs Are Over.
FIGHTING CALLS FOR ACTION
Sammies Never Needed Aid as
Badly as They Do Now.
Navy and Aviators Still Need
Warm Outfits.


let the warm weather cause falling
off in their interest in the Red Cross.
Their work is needed now as badly as
ever, in fact more SO, as the season
for the great offensives draws near.
The supplies of garments and surgical
dressings will be greater as the Amer
lean soldiers become more active in
France. The Topeka chapter of the
Red Cross received this week the fol-
lowing appeal:
Continuous activity and steadfast
resolution must be our watchwords.
Let US continue without pause our
personal and chapter contributions of
time, money and material Let there
be no falling off or laxity in any Red
Cross shop or workroom All OF the
bandages, all of the surgical dress
ings all of the garments we may
make, and more. will be needed. AL
tho spring is upon us, and altho more
than a million and a half sweaters,
besides numberless other knit articles,
have been distributed, there must be
no diminution of the supply. Wo-
men are urged to continue knitting in
their spare moments all thru the
summer From present indications it
is estimated that 100000 additional
sweaters will be needed before the
first of October. Let us all settle
down for a long, steady, uphill pull
together. The road is long, but over
the brow of the hill the sun of peace
is shining
Forty million francs is being spent
by the American Red Cross in aiding
French civilians this spring These
statements cover immediate require
ments already approved, and are TAX
en- from the report of the civilian de-
partment on the work done up to De-
cember 81 and outlining program
for the future. The figures do not in
clude 12,000,0O0f. used for civilian aid
up to the end of November.
A report which Major Grayson
commissioner of the Red Cross, is
taking to Washington will show that
10000 refugees, brought by way of
Switzerland from northern France,
are now being cared for each month.
Fifteen thousand of these are home
less. Thirteen thousand refugee chill
dren have been cared for at Evian
les Bains since the Red Cross began
it's work there. Twenty eight hun
dred persons have been housed at one
time in Paris alone and in thirty-on
other departments in France; Iva BILE
houses have been provided with food,
fuel, clothing and furniture by the
Red Cross thru it's own offices in
sixty-three cities and towns.
In addition to its cooperation with
a great variety of local agencies in
treating and preventing tuberculosis,
in reconstruction work and in re-
educating the mutilated, the Red
Cross has aided the blind and educa-
tiena1 institutions. has taught child
hygiene and fought juvenile delin-
quency. Homer Folks, director of the
department of civilian affairs, con-
cludes his report by mentioning this
constantly growing appreciation of
the work undertaken by the French
public authorities and by private ini-
tiative toward the amelioration of the
misfortunes of the victims of the
war;
1T is both an obvious and a pleas
ant duty" he says, mot only to aid
directly many such organized efforts,
but so to plan all our own direct ac-
tivities as to supplement, strengthen
and coordinate French agencies"
The staff of the civilian department,
which began with thirteen members,
now numbers 364. not including 800
members of the American Friends
unit who are working under the Red
Cross 1t is proposed to double the
present staff of the civilian depart
ment.
Let the boys and girls of Topeka be
the junkmen for the town and thus
help swell the funds available for Red
Cross work. This is the appeal made
to the Junior Red Cross of this city
by the American Red Cross.
The Pacific division of the Ameri-
can Red Cross has a salvage bureau
which was developed from the idea
of saving tin foil and selling it to the
sme1ter; it now salvages all forms OF
prices.
Rubber is in great demand and
tires, tubes, or old rubber in any form
may be collected and readily sold
Rags can be disposed of by the pound,
and all clean white rags over ten
1y,c1 "a n q
compa MES for meter wipes at 10 cents
| a pound. The public schools of one
large city have been collecting and
selling newspapers for two years for
the benefit of the Red Cross and some
months have netted as high as $1,000.
| There is a great scarcity of bottles
on the market today, and old ones,
| especially in quarts and pints find
ready sale. Other things that have
been collected profitably are last year
automobile tags, collapsible paste and
paint tubes, spools from typewriter
ribbons, tin cans, iron and steel, lead.
brass copper and aluminium waste
all these are sold as metal by the
pound. A junk man in large cities
could readily be employed to take
charge of collections of various kinds.
AS the Red Cross is not only en-
deavoring to turn the waste of the
country into supplies and help for the
soldiers at the front, but also to incu1-
cate the idea of thrift at home. the
possibilities of enlisting the school.
children in this work can be readily
seem.
Socks are still needed in large
quantities Do not stop knitting. The
warm weather will soon be here, but
the navy and the aviators need warm
things both summer and winter. The
| needs of our men in service abroad
must be filled. Sweaters helmets,
mufflers and wristlets will be needed
in equal quantities., and, of socks,
| twice as many as of anything else. So
any one that can make good socks
| should go on doing so, feeling assured
| that they will be appreciated
Only two Red Cross nurses have re-
turned since we entered the war one