The Republican journal., 1919-10-02

OF war, hut for the purpose of health,
and fer prese wing the health of the
world and avoiding unnecessary dis
eases; in other words, the rep esen-
tatives of the nations gathered in Par
is saw the possibilities that had been
opened up by that gathering.
A Grave Situation.
when we LOOK at the situation
here in this country, what do e see?
We see country far from healthy
1t is situation which is very grave
one. 1t is SO common that we have
become accustomed to it. | need not
stand here and discuss with you the
problems that existed in military
countries and the hundreds of thou
sands of deaths that are absolutely
needless. nor do l need to go into de-
tails as to that Belgium where a mil
lion and half p0rished of prevent
able diseases. wish to speak to you
of diseases that are taking their toll
and undermining the vita ity of our
people
Nov, then, what can the Red
Cross do? Even before the war, tub
erculosis had become a problem in
this country. The health of the peo-
pie is not the problem for the physi-
cian,-it is not for the hospital nor
the sanitarium, it is for the visiting
nurse, the nurse who goes into the
home; in other words it is not the
cure, it is the prevention Of sickness,
and the medical profession is slowly
realizing it, the people are still more
slowly realizing it,-that it is not the
cure but the prevention of disease
that is the vital question, and the
Red Cross had already undertaken
this vast and large problem when it
was called upon to expend all its
strength on the war. and it has begun
again to take up this problem.
"In the last 20 years other groups
of citizens have devoted their ener-
gies to the prevention of this dis
ease, and there have been various
organizations formed to improve the
condition of the children in this coun-
try. Thus far, it has not been taken
up by any one great group although
in many cases different public Off
Gals have taken it up. but l want to
emphasize right here that the respon-
ity and of the people of the nation is
a public responsibility. 1t rests
squarely upon the shoulders Of our
public officials, bit our public officials
cannot do anything until they have
been authorized by adequate legisla-
ton and have been given adequate
support by the pubic. This question
of the health of 80 nations has be-
come not only T,stional but an in
ternational problem and the Red Cross
of America, of England of France, Of
Italy, and of every other coun-
where the Red Cross has an organi-
cation, is the agency in all these coun-
tries through which the work should
be carried on.
Reflects Unified Spirit.
I'VE realize that the Red Cross is
the first, last, and all the time the
one great cooperating organization
that reflects the great unified spirit
of the American people. 1t is the
only agency in existence that can rem
der the home service that is neces-
sary to conserve the health of the
nation. and, of course, it will continue
in such activities until there is some
! other agency tina, can take it over
and do it better than the Red Cross.
1.-THE Red Gross will not assume to
do the work of other organizations,
or to assume the esponsibility of pub
lie officials, but it will work with and
cooperate in the communities with
organizations already in its welfare
work in such a way that there will
be no confusion.
I'VE find that the fight against tu-
|. berculosis is not a problem by itself,
it is only one of the other great prob
lens; there is the problem of vene-
real disease and Of cancer. and all
those things with which the public is
afflicted.
mo other agency in the country
has the cementiDg tendency of all
these various movements as the Red
| Cross 1t seems to me and it seems
to many of US that there is not any
great problem for relief that the Red
Cross cannot take up in any commun-
| ity. I don't care whether it is in a
village of purely rural district, or
| in cne of the great cities of the first
class. tt csc different individual and
independent movements fill in a place
| in the community where this spirit
exists.
"And it seems to me and to many
of us that the best thing, the great
est contribution that the Red Cross
could make would be to establish
some center. some place which would
be the expression of all these efforts
on the part of the public and that the
establishment of a small center in a
small community and large center
in a large community would be the
best method by which the Red Cross
ran accomplish on a broad policy the
! results sought if we only devise the
means.
All Look to America.
"All the countries of Europe look to
America to take the lead in the move
| $500. - o,+, b1ich health cPntorS and