Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-26
Anna McMullen The Work
of the Red Cross.


all the things the Red Cross does?
Florence Nightingale, an English
girl Of wealthy parentage, was born
about 100 years ago. Al her life
she tried to help injured ones. One
winter night in London she visited q
hospital. She was appalled, by the
dirty, unsanitaIy. conditions and de,
clded then that she would become q
nurse, in order to keep such places
clean and wholesome for the sick.
She then began to study to be a
nurse. Shortly after the Crimean war
broke out, in which France, England
and Turkey fought against Russia.
She then returned to England to take
care of the wounded men in the hos
pitals. The supplies were lacking.
Two thousand wounded were lying for
days in mud and nth, sick men were
packed together in hordes. There
were rats and vermin in the hospitals.
Florence brought q group Of women
with her and cleaned these places.
The men were taken care of properly.
But her work did not end with this
war. She began to build new build
fngs so that sanitary hospital could
be there.
Henri Dunat wrote book called
"A Souvenor Of solferino." It was
what Florence had done. People read
this and seeing that ono nation alone
could not work out such q vast plan,
he and group Of interested men
called together a council Of fourteen
nations at Geneva, Switzerland. This
meeting resulted In the adoption in
1864 Of an International treaty which
gave to the world the organization Of
the Red Cross.
Siberia, China, Egypt and Algiers
are among the many nations allied in
this way. The convention adopted
the emblem of the Swiss banner with
cross with red field, and the banner Of
our organization the Red Cross. is a
red Cross on q white field.
Those two words Humanity" and
Neutrality" were used as watchwords
Of the Red Cross; to care for those
who need 1t, regardless Of race or
creed is the aim of the Red Cross.
In 1860 the civil war broke out in
our country. Care Of the sick and
wounded was under the charge Of
what Is known as "The Sanitary Com
mission But aside from this organ
lied group Of men and women work
ing to take care Of our soldiers, there
were many individual women who de-
voted their lives to the same cause.
Among these were Dorothea DIX.
She was great worker for reforms Of
prisons During the four years of
war she never had holiday. Nor
could any accuse her Of working in
her own interest for when the secre-
tary OF war asked her what the nation
could do to thank her for her work,
she answered, II would like nag
The two beautiful flags given her by
the country she later gave to Harvard
college and they now hang in her
memory over the doors Of its memor-
ial hall.
The Red Cross stamp with which
you seal your letters at Christmas;
they are not merely Christmas seals,
but they are Red Cross stamps and
the money you pay for them goes to
help take care Of some man or woman,
boy or girl, who IL suffering from dis
ease.
Not only men and horses 90 to the
front, but hundreds or RED Cross dogs.
each supplied with first aid kit on
his back, go on scouting trips to find
wounded men. Each bring back some
article Of clothing to- tell the doctors
that somewhere "out there lies q
man who needs help. A group OF
these dogs are being trained in Ameri-
ca now and will be the first American
dogs to help win the war, For men
women and children can do nothing
too much to help win this war. Not
only women and men can belong to
the Red Cross for they are organizing
these in schools. We are going to
have a Junior Red Cross in Krksville
High school.
Mamma has knitted two helmets
and four pairs Of mittens.
I am going to Join the Junior Red
Cross.
Yours truly,
Anna McMullen, age IA years
BOX &c Kirksville
Vera McElroy- School Com