The Redwood gazette., 1919-04-02
Red Cross Workers
Enter New Field
WAR WORK IS NOT OVER, C. C..
HELD POINTS OUT-PEACE
TASKS OUTLINED
By Clifford C. Held
Division Manager.

The feeling among some chapters
that Red Cross work is over has been
apparent for some time cannot urge
too strongly that your organization
be kept together, both as regards the
branches, auxiliaries, and chapters for
a future that is very bright for years
to come in the Red Cross. In this
connection a portion of recent speech
by DR.. Livingston Farrand, the new
Chairman of the Central Committee
of the Red Cross, may be of interest:
Accepting its commission from the
American people, the Red Cross built
up war program of service not only
to our own soldiers and sailors and
their families, but to the war-strickcn
peoples of our Allies, particularly
where the distress of the refugees and
helpless children made an appeal which
could not be disregarded This war
program is not ended with the arm
Iistice Our army is still in Europe,
and while France, Italy, and Belgium
are rapidly assuming the responsible
ties withintheir own borders, our work
there cannotabe ended suddenly. And
now the calls from Poland, the Bal
kans, Russia, and Palestine have fore
ed the sending of new commissions
| to those countries to bring, in the name
of the American people, that emer-
gency relief in sickness and suffering
which only the Red Cross is organized
to carry. These urgent problems of
rehabilitation have emerged within
the last three months.
1T was expected last November
oEE I,~~o 4 rJ0 hn
funds in hand would be sufficient
completely to meet the obligations
which the Red Cross had been forced
to undertake. 1t is now apparent
| that this is not the case. In spite of
the strictest oversight of commitments
and the most rigid economy, the ap-
preparations by the War Council for
relief in Europe for the months of
January and February have been the
largest in the history of the. organiza-
ton. In other words, the war task
of the Red Cross is not yet finished
and our divisions and chapters must
hold themselves ordered and ready
for instant service. A further appeal
for funds will be postponed until the
last possible moment, but we must
face the high probability that before
the year is ended such call will come.
while the CHER energies of the Red
Cross must still, for a short time, be
devoted to the program of war. the
program of peace, broader and more
fundamentally important, is opening
before our eyes. In reality it is alrea-
dy taking shape, and the activities of
the great organization in public health
in nursing, in home service, in Junior
Membership, etc., are pointing the way
to the new field which the new Red
Cross shall fill. The details Of this
peace program are being worked out
with the utmost care and caution, and
will be presented as rapidly as they
can safely be formulated, or as the
termination of the demands of war will
allow new obligations to be assumed.
"In the meantime, the immediate
obligation is clear; to carry through
to an effective end at home and abroad
the war program undertaken in the
name of the American people. There
remains the inspiring future where
the new spirit of service, born of the
war and symbolized by the American
Red Cross, shall be turned to the pre-
vention of disease, the relief of suf-
fering. and the improvement of the
conditions under which we live" Rel
ative to the appeal for funds and the
necessity for postponing this drive as
long as possible, information will be
issued to you shortly again asking
that you check up your surplus funds
and send them in in order that the
National Red Cross may have the ben
eft of them in continuing their great
work Bulletin.