Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-03-18
WILL YOU NOT HELP?
Alexandria Branch of Red Cross MAX
inc an Earnest Effort to Secure
Clothing for Belgium Sufferers.

Clothing loE DeiSiuh
Your spare clothing is needed tor
the suffering people of Belgium ana
northern France. These Allies OF ours
behind the German lines-tne rich as
well as the poor.
AS the world is short o. SO many
things it IS short of clothing, Of raw
materials. We cannot purchase what
is needed; we must put our spare gar
menrs to the service of the world.
One-third Of every shipment will go
to the people of the north of france
down close behind the German lines;
two thirds will go TO Belgium.
The Commission for Relief has the
ships-you have the clothing. IN
these vessels carrying cargoes OF gram
and other foodstuffs to the Beiglans
and the French in the territory occn-
pied by the Germans, there IS room
for all the clothing you can give. Inc
Commission for Relief has safe con-
duct passes for its ships, and the alb
solute assurance through its own rep
rssentatives in Brussels that the cloth
irg will be delivered only to those for
whom, it IS intended. The Germans
have never ut any time seized the PEI
sonal wearing apparel Of individuals
Before the exhaustion Of native sup
plies prospective mothers were gwen
lavsttes-little bundles containing all
warm clean garments and var1ous sup
Lies so necessary to the babies-w:th
which to clothe and provide for the
new arrivals into the world. vi late
these women have been turned away
by the thousands from the empty
storehouses of the committees, and
their newborn babies are sWaddled III
rags. Light, warm canton flannel an"
other kinds of cloth are needed, from
which to make these things. On your
generosity alone rests the response
biiitv for these young lives.
Last year in Belgium one paid SLC3
TO have a pair of shoes resoled. The
Commission for relief was soiinG them
with sections Of discarded material
stamped out to fit the various sizes;
tens Of thousands Of pairs Of these cut
soles were thus produced. We must
have shoes, and scrap leather with
which to repair those you give and the
other shoes now being worn over there,
1t is useless to send a garment
which is not made of the strongest and
most durable materials, as the clothes
are subjected to the hardest kind OF
use. But this does not mea .a. al
garments must be in perfe
There are upwards Of a hun 4s. '1i
sand women in Belgium "a, ."-
err France who will do an %
little work, and who Were a1'A.lzc.
and trained into marve a-y ~
cient organization for the saa. Z
new clothing-whilc there "zl.
raw materials-or the rel III
ping up ard making of ole
As to bedding; in the I
France sacks stuffed will gN 'e.Frs
serve as mattresses; evel 9
need for blankets is tremendous; nos
pitals and other institutions suffer for
want CT sheets. Do not forget that in
some places whole families sleep to-
gathar to snare a single blanket.
While tie Red Cross is caring for
the helpless, and the destitute French
TIE Commission for Relief is caring
Tor the helpless and the destitute
French and Bclgians ''in there" be-
hind the German lines.
The cry for clothing comes from the
Commission for Relief. The clothing,
to be sorted and packed, must go 10
the warehouses of the Commission
From there. it goes to the docks, and
thence by ship 10 Rotterdam. To
meet the situation, and the opportun-
ity. the week Of March IS to the 23tn
should see not less than 5000 tons C
clothing collected and on its way TO
the commission warehouses.
The Alexandria Chapter will have
headquarters for the receipt Of cloth
ing a. 42S King street, from Monday,
March Is to Saturday, March SD, in
elusive. Take your clothing there and
hpio.