Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-03-06

our men In service ard to aid our
army and navy wherever the Red
Cross may be called on to assist. As
to this ph ase of the worE Surges n Gen.
erti ireland of the q. s Army recent.
" said: The Red Gross has b cen an
enterprise as vast as the war itself.
From the beginning It has done those
things Which the Army Medical Corps
wanted done, but could not do Itself
'nThe Red Cross endeayor in france
has naturally been upon an exc option
ally large scale where service hns
been rendered to the American Army
and to the French Army ard the
French people as well, the latter par |
ticularly during the trying period Z
wi en- the Allied World was waiting
for the American Army to arise In /
force and power. Hospital emergency
service for our army in France has
greatly diminished, but the Red Cross
is still being called upon. for service
upon a 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 conyalescent.
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
primcrv business Of the Red Cross
during hostilitaes 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-
fer as far as possible to provide for
their own. 1t has accordingly been de-
termined that the guiding principle Of
Red Cross policy in 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 districts, each officially assigned
to a designated French relief organi-
| cation.
| "The American Red Cross work In
France was initiated by commission
| OF eighteen men who landed on French
shores June IS, 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-
ish1ng 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
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.
\ 1.-THE occasion for such concentra-
ton Of effort in Italy, England, Bel
GUM and even In France having natur.
ally and normally diminished, 1t ha,
) 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 thu
: more acute distress.
San extensive group Of American
workers has been dispatched to carry
vitality needed supplies, and to worl
this winter in the various Balkan coun
tries. In order to coordinate their &C
tiyities, Balkan commission has beef
: established, with headquarters a
. Rome, italy, from which point alon'
: all the Balkan centers can be reached
: promptly.
"A commission has just reached Pc
I land with doctors and nurses, medlca
! supplies, and food for sick children
Q and invalids. An American Red Cros
9 Commission has also been appointe'
Q to aid In relieving the suffering Of Rus
sian prisoners still confined in German
: prison camps.
"An important commission is still
E working in Palestine. Through tn
Q war special cooperation has bee
Q given to the Armenian and Syrian Re
: lief Commission. which was the onl
n agency able to carry relief in the In
b. terror of Turkish dominions
! Red Cross Will Continue.
cred Cross effort il thus far fiunl
It will continue to be SO. But tn
0 movement represented by this wor
has likewise assumed an intimate plac
4 In the daily life Of our people at home
i The army Of workers which has bee
/ recruited and trained during the wa
8 fsnst n0t he denoohilized All our el