Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-18
DAWSON APPEALS
FOR BIG ROLL CALL
Head of Red Cross War Coun-
Gil Sends Stirring Message
to the Public.
VAST PROBLEMS ARE AHEAD
Sees No Necessity for Further Cam
paisns for Funds II People Re-
spond Properly to Christ
mas Drive.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 4.--Henry
p. Dawson, chairman of the war coun-
Gil of, the Red Cross, today issued to
the 1854 chapters and the 100000
members the following statement out
lining the future policy of the Ameri-
can Red Cross:
The whole American people will be
invited in the week preceding Christ
mas to enroll as members of the Red
Cross. 1t is confidently believed there
need be no further campaigns for Red
Cross funds, but instead the annual
roll call will constitute the foundation
OF the Red Cross. The people should
therefore know as definitely as posi-
bic the plans of this, their national
humanitarian society.
''Sihce the armistice was signed /
hive had an opportunity TO confer in
Paris with the heads of all American
Red Cross commissions in Europe, and
later in Washington with the presi-
dent of the United States, the war
council of the Red Cross, the managers
of the fourteen Red Cross divisions Of
the United States, and with the heads
of our department at national head
quarters. / am, therefore, able to
speak now with knowledge and assur-
ance in saying that the beneficent work
of the American Red Cross is to go
forward on great scale-not alone,
As heretofore, for purposes of relief of
war; but as an agency of peace and
permanent human service.
"Since Americas entry into the war
the purpose of our Red Cross has been
primarily to aid our army and navy in
the care of our men under arms, and,
secondly, to extend relief to the sol
diers, sailors and civilians of those ma
tons which were fighting our battles
along with their own. With the funds
which have been so generously con-
tributed by the American people this
war work of the Red Cross will con-
tinue and be completed with all posi-
DIE sympathy ana energy.
Wherever our soldiers and sailors
may be the Red Cross will stay with
them until, they are demobilized. Moth
ing which we may do will be left I'M
done, either for the men in the war
zone, for those returning, for those in
the camps and hospitals or for their
families at home, to whom will con-
tinue to be devoted the ministrations
of the Red Cross home service. In
this latter effort $4,000 trained Red
Cross workers are now engaged at
$500 different places throughout the
land.
1.-THE problems Of reconstruction, in
volving feeding and caring for the dis
tressed civilian populations of Europe,
are of such magnitude that necessa-
rily they must be met very largely by
the governments of our allies, with
whom our own government will coop
crate.
"The great tasks of fighting tubercu-
losis, promoting child welfare, and car
ing for refugees, with which the Amer.
lean Red Cross has concerned itself so
effectively in France Italy and Bel
gian, will at an early date be assumed
by the governments, the Red Cross or.
CARNATIONS, and the relief societies of
those countries, which, now that they
are released from the terrible burden
OF waglng war, naturally desire to take
care, as far as they can, of their own
people.
1.-THE war problem of the American
Red Cross will thus steadily and rap
idly merge itself into peace program
The wake of the war WILL however
reveal the prevalence of disease, and
give rise to epidemics and emergen-
cies which in all parts of the world
will call for unlimited voluntary eff
fort, the cutting of red tape and mani
festation OF those qualities of human
sympathy which government action
cannot display. Here will be the op
portunity for the American Red Cross
But even our Red Cross must not act
and cannot act most. effectively alone
we must labor In cooperation with the
National Red Cross and relief societies
of other nations, TO the end that not
alone the heart of America but the
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