The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-03-05
actually Increased since the armistice

e'e' themselves naturally pre-
ier as far aa possible to provide for
thelr own. 1t has accordingly been de.
termlned that the guiding principle of
hed cross policy in France henccforth
snail be to have punctilious regard to
i,s every responsibility, but to direct
us eIorts primarily to assisting
hrench relief societies. The liberated
anu devastated regions Of France have
Decn divided by the government into
silall districts, each officially assigned
TO designated French relief orponi.
zatIon.
"The American Red Cross work IN
rsa,ce was Initiated by commission
y, eishtech men who landed on French
shores June 13, 1917. Since then
some o'oOo persons have been upon tile
rol,s IN France, Of whom 1000 were
"c'i'el! engaged when the armistice
was signed. An Indication OF tho pres-
ent scale of the work will be obtained
from the face that the services Of G,OOO
persons are still required
our American EXpcditionary Force
h'Ving largely evacuated England, the
activities Of the Red Cross Commits
sion there are naturally upon a dimin-
isflhg scale period. Active operations
are still In progress in Archungel and
Siberia.
The work in Italy has been almost
entFc!S on behalf Of the civilian pop-
uiatlon OF that country. In the critical
hours or 1taly'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 Eas4
"rhe occasion for such concentra.
tion or effort In Italy, England, Bel
sium ana even In France having natur-
ally and normally diminished, It has
Deen possible to divert supplies and
personnel In large measure to the aid
or those people in the Near East who
nave hitherto been inaccessible TO out.
side assistance, but whose sufrcrings
nave been upon an appalling scale.
lhe needs Of these peoples are so vast
that government alone can meet them.
put the American Rcd Cross is making
an effort to relieve Immediately the
more acute distress.
AN extensive group Of American
workers has been dispatched TO carry
vitnlly needed supplies, and 10 work
lhiS WINTER In the various Balkan coun-
trlcs In order to coordinate their ac-
uNllirS, Balkan commission has been
established, with headquarters at
Romc, 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 ana Syrian Re-
lief Commission, which was the only
agency able to carry relief in the in
terror of Turkish dominons.
Red Gross Will Continue.
"Red Cross effort Is thus far flung.
1t Will continue to be so. But / o
movement represented by this work
has likewise assumed an intimate place
In the daily life of our people at home.
The army Of workers which has been
recruited and trained during the war
must not be demobiliZed. All our ex-
Dericnce 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
1t Is yet impossible to forecast We
know that so long as there Is an Amer
!can army in the field the Red Cross
:. have a 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 Il program Of extended ac-
tvities In the interest Of humanity.
The conception involves not alone cf.
forts TO relieve human suffering, but
to prevent 1t; not alone Il movement
by the people of an individual nation,
but an attempt to arouse all people to
sense of their responsibility for the
welfare Of their fellow beings through.
out the world. 1t Is program both
ideal and practical Ideal in that its
supreme aim Is nothing less than YER
liable "Peacc on earth good will TO
men," and practical in that 1t seeks to
take means and measures which are
actually available and make them Of.
fcctivc In meeting without delay The
crisis which Is daily rccurrcnt in the
lives OF all peoples.
"For accomplishing its mission in