The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1919-03-15

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enterprise as vast as the war itself
From the beginning 1t has done those
things which the Army Medical Corps
wanted done, but could not do itself
"The Red Cross endeavor i'm France
has naturally been upon an exception
ally large scale where service ha.
been rendered TO the American Army
and to the French Army and the
French people as well, the latter par
ticularly during the trying period
when the Allied World was waiting
for the American Army To arise In
force and power. Hospital emergenc,
! service for our army I'm France has
greatly diminished, but the Red Cross
Is still being called upon for service
upon large scale in the great base
hospitals, where thousands of Ameri
can sick and wounded are still receiv.
ing attention. At these hospitals the
Red Cross supplies huts and facilities
for the amusement and recreation OF
the men as they become convalescent
Our Army of Occupation in German,
was followed with Medical units pre
pared to render the same emergency
aid and supply service which was the
primary business of the Red Cros.
during hcstil!ties The Army Canteer
service along the lines of travel ha,
actually increased since the armistice.
"As for work among the French peo-
PIE, now that hostilities have ceased,
the French themselves naturally pre-
Ter as far as possible to provide for
their own. II has accordingly been de-
termined that the guiding principle of
Red Cross policy i'm France henceforth
shall be to have punctilious regard to
its every responsibility, but to direct
its efforts primarily to assisting
French relief societies. The liberated
and devastated regions of France have
been divided by the government into
small ,.."r.-tS ca"h officially assigned
to designated French relief organi-
ZatiOn.
"The American Red Cross work I'm
France was initiated by commission
or eighteen men who landed on French
shores June 13, 1917. Since then
some 5000 persons have been upon the
rolls in France, of whom 1000 were
actively engaged when the armistice
was signed. An indication Of the pres
ent scale Of the work will be obtained
from the fact that the services Of 5000
persons are still required.
sour American Expeditionary Force
1ar
activities of the Red Cross Commits
sion there are naturally upon n dimin-
ishing scale period Active operations
are still in progress i'm Archangel and
Siberia.
"The work in Italy has been almost
entirely on behalf Of the civilian pop
ulation of that country. In the critical
hours Of Italy's struggle the American
people, through their Red Cross. sent
a practical message of sympathy and
relief, for which the government and
people OF Italy have never ceased to
express their gratitude.
Supplies and Personnel to Near East.
"The occasion for such concentra-
ton of effort in Italy, England. Bel
GUM and even in France having natur.
ally and normally diminished, it has
been possible to divert supplies and
personnel in large measure to the aid
of those people in the Near East who
have hitherto been inaccessible to out
side assistance. but whose sufferings
have been upon an appalling scale
The needs Of these peoples are so vast
that government alone can meet them,
but the American Red Cross is making
an effort to relieve Immediately the
more acute distress.
"An extensive group Of American
workers has been dispatched to carry
vitality needed supplies, and to work |
this winter in the various Balkan coun- |
tries. In order to coordinate their ac-
tivities, Balkan commission has been |
established, with headquarters at |
Rome, Italy. from which point alone |
all the Balkan centers can be reached |
promptly.
"A commission has Just reached Po-
land with doctors and nurses, medical |
supplies, and food for sick children |
and invalids. An American Red Cross /
Commission has also been appointed |
to aid in relieving the suffering of Rus /
sian prisoners still confined in German |
prison camps.
IAN important commission is still /
working In Palestine Through the
war special cooperation has been
given to the Armenian and Syrian Re-
lief Commission, which was the only
agency able to carry relief in the in
terror of Turkish dominions.