The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-20
WOULD HAVE RED
CROSS ESTABLISH
HEALTH CENTERS
DR.. Farrend Outlines Features
OF Permanent Program to
New England Workers

ing to Dr. Livingston Farrand, eXecu-
tive head of the organization, who dis
cussed the principal features of the
future program for the first time pub
licly in Worcester, Mass, on Septem
Der 16, at a conference of representa-
tives of the Chapters and Branches
of the New England Division of the
Red Cross
Dr. Farrand declared that the pub
lie health is the most vital probe of
today, and that it is the probl' to
which the Red Cross proposes t. de-
vote itself in the future.
The greatest contribution the Red
Cross could make to the fight against
the common enemy, disease. in the
opinion of DR.. Farrand, would be to
establish a health center in every
community, that would physically
unite all the health and public well
fare movements and would result in
effective coordination of their efforts.
After reviewing the work Of the
Red Cross during tho war and its
INd
the future, speaking as follows:
Greatest Single Organization.
NOW the armistice was signed
last November and Immediately war
subsidized and the war emotiors sub
sided. All over the wor' d people be-
gan to think of readiustment of their
own personal affairs where they had
set, them down to take up relief work
and war activities for those two
years Like every other organization
the Red Cross BEGAN to look forward
to the future. What was happening
IN the American Red Cross was hap
pening in the French Red Cross, in
The Italian Red Cross, in the British
Rel Cross. in the BELGIAN Red Cross,
in the Japanese Red Cross and in
4 practically every other Rcd Cross or
ganization in the world.
/ ''The American Red Cross Q
the war had built up in this co y
! the greatest single organization
4 The world has ever Known, not ;
| Of this kind had ever BEEN built ap
| before. There lad been aroused
among the people in this country an
enthusiasm AMI new spirit for serv-
'ce. The question that Immediately
| came to the Ped Cross was this: Is
! the Red Cross to debate now that t g
war is over, is it to subside to the sit
uation that it was il before the war. or
! is il to be retained TO accoyrp fish
/ somethi~ & in time of peace? AS fa~
| rs | am concerned the question was
not. WIS the Red Cross going TO be
:, retained; that Ai6n't worry me for a
moment, it didn't seem to me the
question ct issue The question at
issue seemed to be this: Does this
war leave problems, or are there
problems that existed before the war,
which exist after the war. that are
more carabie of being solved now
than before he war. and is the Red
Cross in a position to hep solve these
problems? If it is and if this energy
that f9s been built up in these two
years Of war can be directed toward
the solution OF these fundamental
problems it would he ill7g.timate that
that ere-ey should be dispersed alb
solutelv without an attempt beine
made to push the word further On
than it was before the war. and ii
possible to make the world better
place to live in than it was before the
wa.
"The question was whether the Re-
Cross was adapted to contribute oil
help in that situation. The question
! was not whether the Red Cross and
the work it had done should subside
That is not the issue. There are toe
rany o4her interests involved We
have got to be sure before we dacid,
that a given agonco CA accomplish
n given thing a7d that it ran accom-
plish t better than some other agen
cy or are Won going to accomplish
mere by this or that method The
only reason for savi-g the crganiza
ton is thu it ~''0uld be able t. &C
~orfplish SOMETHING better tran som
ether organization.
sSa,ing the Worlds Vitality.
There is the nrc m tn t has beo1
with the world since before the dawr
Of history. there is the problem Q
distress ord miserv In other words
there is the problem Of saving TIL
! wo"ld's vitality which has been re
I duce1 by the ravages OF war. Ever,
child should be gusrdea with health
There is fhe knowledge that a Iarg
portion of the diseases of human;
are preventable diseases. Therefore
IS our part to do the.things we kno,
ought to be done and can be done t
relieve the situation.
y There was held last spring i
Cannes a conference ut which wa-
I present representatives, Scientist
I and physical of the five o lied n;
tons. to discuss the prob ers whic
4 only the Red Cross of the world wa
fitted to attempt And the opinion {
I 'here men was absolutely unanimou
oven these mon who themselves ha
II heoD buricI in of tho t.o.1+