Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-13
(Secdon Wy

The first stage-the sudden rush of
refugees from farmhouse and village
and town, afoot, in wagons. in cam
ions, to such points on the railroads
as they could get passage-was passed
when the American Red Cross enter
ed h field. Its participation began in
the second stage, the transport of
train1oads of refugees to the great dis
tribution centers and thence to- the
provincial capitals, but such waa the
congestion that by no means all OF its
larger consignments of supplies, how
ever rapidly gotten together and ship
ped. reached their destinations while
the flood tide was in transit.
Had the stream doubled or trebled
bodings-they would have been ready
to hand. AS it was, they were employ
ed at once to help meet the no less
emergent needs of the third stage, the
I'm mediate carr of great bodies of
refugees in the first shelters provided
Tor them. And, as it was. though such
supplies as got through, such can
Chioggia, Genoa Ancona; such help
ers as could be Sent out, or mustered
individually or in committee as in Ge-
noa and Milan; and more especially
through rapid advances of moneys to
consuls and field delegates and Italian
agencies. who laid their hands on
things to be done locally Gas in the
Cross played a spirited, if scattered,
part from the first.
This has afforded acquaintanceship
and momentum in organizing its more
systematic work now in progress. OF
the need Of hat work every days
mail. every report from field delegates
and travelling inspectors adds to the
weight of testimony. as this is written
from Sicilian towns, where work is
difficult to obtain and local milk is
unobtainable for mothers and chill
dren. from villages where people are
sleeping on he ground and whole
families are sick of fever and :rheu-
matlsm; from farming communities
in the Apprentices where the corr
crop failed last year; from towns in
Elyrla where refugees are still sleep
ING without beds on the damp straw;
from s~ea-coast villas, fair to the eye
but void of blankets; from crowded
tenements in Eaples-from industrial
districts IN the northwest, where work
Is plenty but where there are none the
less great numbers of broken families,
SICK or lnfrnl or without breadwin-
ners, and where fuel is scarce to be
nad; from wherever, throughout Italy.
refugee families are without adequate
footwear and underwear, with scant
bedding and without the rudinents of
household life; where food was short
before the refugees anne and the peo-
pie form in long queues for their 'mea-
ger daily allotments.
Future Red Cross Work.
In addressing itself to the future,
y main lines of procedure present
themselves to the American Red
Cross: ta) The eStah lislan,ent Of dis.
tinctive relief agencies of its own, such
as A base hopital, a refugee, a popular
kitchen. a station canteen, a housing
committee; or tb) work through ex.
listing Italian agencies. through grants
OF financial assistance supplemented;
wherever possible, by appropriate
forms of personal service. In general
the committee of investigation believ-
ed that more permanent work will
come by the latter method, although
recognizing that local conditions MAY
require di1ect action and not wishing
make it impossible or even difficult
when the conditions require it
The system of responsible regional
delegates for consular work recently
outlined, working closely in commune
ton with American consuls and Iral-
ian projects and agencies, will afford
a framework flexible enough to serve
both cooperative and direct action.
In this connection 2, statement issu-
ed in n1id-November by the high Ital.
ian commission for refugees is signif.
cant. He said:
The work of the American Red
Cross in favor of the war refugees is
full of goodness. pity and sagacity
The projects must second it and put
the delegates of that most providen1
institution in friendly relations wifi
would be harmful politically and
practically. / beg you to give me con.
.tinual information regarding this co.
Eoperatiort with the Americans per.
Knitting them freely to expand Their
activity without bureaucratic hin.
RANGES. The commissioner is most de.
sirous that the cooperation MAJ be
full of straightforward and open be.
nevolence. I have seen the representa-.
tives Of the American Red Cross AND