Monroe City Democrat., 1919-03-14

for the amusement and recreation of
the men as they become convalescent.
Our Army OF Occupation In Germany
was followed with Medical units pre-
pared to render the same emergency
aid and supply service which was the
primary business of the Rid Cross
during hostillties The Army Canteen
service along the lines Of travel has
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. 1t has accordingly been de-
termlned that the guiding principle Of
Red Cross policy In France henceforth
snail be to have punctilious regard to
It's every responsibility, but to direct
lts efforts primarily to assisting
French relief societies. The liberated
and devastated regions of France have
peen divided by the government into
small districts, each officially assigned
to designated French relief organl-
zation.
The American Red Cross work in
France was initiated by commission
OF 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
our American ExpeditiOnary Force
having largely evacuated England, the
activities of the Red Cross Commits
sion there are naturally upon dimin-
ishing scale period. Active operations
are still In progress In Archangel and
Siberia.
The work in Italy has been almost
entirely on behalf of the civilian pop
ulation of that country In the critical
fhours of Italy's struggle the American
people, through their Red Cross, sent
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.
tion of effort in Italy, England, Bel
gium and even In France having natur-
ally and normally diminished, 1t has
I'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
IAN 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, a 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.
! "An 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.
| Red Cross viii Continue.
"Red Cross effort Is thus far flung.
It will continue to be so. But the
movement represented by this work
has likewise assumed an intimate place
In the daily life Of our people at homo.
The army of workers which has been
recruited and trained during the war
must not be demobilized. All our ex-
perience in the war shows clearly that
| there is an unlimited field for service
of the kind which can be performed
with peculiar effectiveness by the Red
| Cross. What its future tasks may be
II Is yet impossible to forecast. We
know that so long as there is an Amer
lean army in the field the Red Cross
will have special function to perform
Nothing could be of greater impor-
tance to the American Red Cross than
the plans just set In motion by the FIVE
great Red Cross societies of the world
to develop program of extended ac-
! tivities in the interest of humanity.
The conception Involves not alone ef-
forts to relieve human suffering, hut