Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-16
Future of the Red Cross
New York Evening Post.

Having risen splendidly to a tremendous
emergency task, the American Red Cross feels
that it has proved its capacity for the permanent
shoudering of new responsibilities. 1t now has
100000 members and at Christmas intends
asking all Americans to join and pay their dol
lar. Since January the American people have
given it nearly $36000000e and what remains,
the membership fees and the gifts of materials
that will be asked from time to time, Will be
sufficient for the present. But as Chairman
Dawson indicates in his statements, the Amer
lean Red Cross intends no Slackenlng OF its
relief work. It's undertakings will merely have
a slowly changing character as its war work
merges into more normal peace activities. The
winter is expected to see acute suffering abroad.
In alternating this misery the American Red
Cross expects the European governments and
the European relief organizations to step tor
ward more prominently. The governments in
particular may take entire charge of some fields.
"Co-operation" Mr.. Dawson emphasized in
speaking. of the Red Cross future in countries
which will show rapid expansion of agencies
for binding up their own wounds. We must
not and cannot act alone" we must wait on the
general program before outlining our definite
policies. But this cooperation has been a
watchword to a greater extent than we COM
monty realize. The Red Cross, which
may seem to the hasty American mind to have
cies, has labored in communities full of them.
They are loyalty supported and intelgently
managed Few things in the Red Cross record
are more admirable than the tact shown in util-
izing or being utilized by them
Just before fighting ended the Red Cross &C
complished reorganization in France which
partially decentralized it and gave it greater
hexibility The country was divided into irreg-
ular zones, each with its manager. The admin
istrative departments became six. That of re-
quirements was given charge of supplies, per-
sonnet, transport and manufacturing; the med
ical and surgical department was given the
children's bureau, nursing and the bureau of
reconstruction! and re-education that of army
and navy service the home service, canteens and
army field service, and that of general relief the
refugees, war orphans, soldiers families and
agriculture. The two other departments are
those of medical research and French hospitals
Still further changes will be necessary now in
France and in the alignment Of Red Cross work
as it affects all Europe and America; but the
old organization, adaptable as it was to a nice
adjustment between civilian relief and army
work as the demand varied, will serve as frame
work. The Red Cross has trained agents study
ing the field with care. Homer Folks is abroad
with expert helpers examining the wars social
effects in most of the allied countries from
Britain and Belgium to Greece, and, possibly
Russia. His reports are expected to furnish
one basis for the Red Cross peace plans TIL
berculoss, child welfare, housing, public health,
with details of the government solution of food
and fuel problems, will demand of the Red Cross
planned effort.
Americans were always proud Of the Red
Cross as an agency of national and interna-
tonal relief. We turned to it for score of do
mestic needs, from that of meeting mine dis
aster to that of furnishing funds and plans for
fighting tuberculosis We were glad to point
to its record at Messina in flooded China and
starving India, and in the typhus- scourged Bal
kans. Yet we were put to shame by even Japan
in the matter of Red Cross membership, and
were remarkably slow in giving the Red Cross
means of building itself up sturdilv and well.
In her book on the Red Cross before we en-
tered the war Mabel Boardman protested
against or "happy- go-lucky" faith in emergency
measures. Now that the Red Cross is left by
the war with extraordinary strength, with an
experienced corps, with many-sided organiza-
ton we'll tested. we should be eager to see it
kept strong.