Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-10-18
Red Cross Notes

1t is matter of sincere regret
that such letter as was written by
a citizen of this town to the editor
of this paper and published on the
front page of last weeks edition
should go out over the State and
elsewhere to be read by people who
know nothing of actual conditions.
We are sorry that anything tending
to knock" our town and it's people
should be seLt out in such way to
our neighbors whose goodwill and
respect we want to have. Such a
letter can do little harm locally as
too many of our village people
know what has been done and
what would have been done had it
been possible, and too many are
intelligent enough to know how the
work of the local Branch has been
handicapped. For the benefit of
those who do not know what they
should the President of the Branch
offers the following information:
The Red Cross has absolutely no
authority. 1t cannot commandeer
into any service whatever anyone
not even it's own members. To
quote from the instructions sent to
US at the beginning of the epidemic,
Your organization should coope-
rate in every way with the local
Board of Health but should take
great pains not to force it's opinions
or services or criticize in any way
their actions. You must remember
that the Red Cross is not an officially
recognized medical organization. -
This precisely is what we have tired
to do. No meeting could be held to
plan any concerted action as all such
meetings were rightly forbidden by
the Board of Health; but the
Executive Committee has tried in
every way possible to secure and
place help. No one regrets more
than they that more assistance
could not be procured. They
endeavored to secure nurses from
outside, guaranteeing wages and
expenses but not one could be
secured as we stated in this paper
last week. The one active and
trained nurse in our village has
been on private cases. Other
women who have had experience
in nursing have been serving where
the need seemed greatest. The
teachers both of the public schools
and convent were asked to give
their service always with the as
surance that the Red Cross would
pay any bills that would be necessary
Any kind of financial help was
offered. Unfortunately the Red
Cross possesses no magic whereby
it can provide trained nurses; and
as stated above it has no power tC
compel anyone to take care of the
sick. Very many Red Gross mem.
.bers, both men and women, have
been performing unselfish SER
vice in sick families. 1t is not
every husband who is willing for
his wife to expose herself and the
other members of his family to
infection by going into these strick-
en- homes, nor is every wife and
mother willing for the husband and
breadwinner so to expose himself.
The Red Cross is telling no one his
or her duty. They are asking all
who will to come and help, and they
continue to ask-are they any more
volunteers? If so, give your names
Immediately to any physician, or to
Mrs. Lawton, Mrs. King, Mrs.
Maroney or Mr.. Sweeney.
The attention of all is called to
the instructions placed by the
Red Cross in conspicuous places,
for the prevention and care that
should be taken; especially the use
of masks. The Red Cross has
made several hundred of these
which are given free to all who
will use them. and their use is.
urged. Get them from the drug
stores, the physicians, or Mrs.