The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-02

Abandoned and refugee children are
taken in hand and given clothing and
food and put into orphanages in which
the Red Cross is starting schools.
In Great Britain, the American Red
Cross Is eQuipping several hospitals,
and at Southampton it is erecting a
three-thousand bed hospital-the larg-
est in England-for American wound
at all the American training and rest
camps, and representatives at the
points of debarkation and embarka-
ton in England are always ready,
When a transport docks, to render aid
and to supply coffee and sandwiches
to our troops.
The American Red Cross has made
contributions to 1000 French hospit-
ais; has given artificial limbs TO
French mutilated soldiers; has estab-
lished c%anteens at the front, in the
metropolitan zone about Paris, and
on the lines of communication, where
millions of poilus have been warmed
and fed. 1t has subsidized French
canteens that were closing for lack OF
funds; made gifts of money to sol
diers' families, and to General Petain
for distribution among the needy of
his armies; and has also helped the
French Red Cross organization inan-
cially.
At Vinckem and Wulveringhem are
the great hospitals of the Belgian Red
Cross, known as "I'hopital Ocean," fill
ed with patients evacuated from La
Panne. It is now reduced in size SO
that it takes care of $50 wounded men
and 400 gas cases American doctors
who have visited the Ocean Hospital
say that it is one of the very best in
the world. Last summer the Ameri-
can Red Cross gave 100000 to help
build the hospital at Vinckem, and it
has just given $4,000 directly to the
Belgian Red Cross, which cannot ap-
peal to people in Belgium for funds,
and which finds itself with an empty
treasury after five years CT war.
n lew uittcS JAIN VI IpltS IhCiC liNC
some children of the city in a Belgian
orphanage which the American Red
Cross, through its Belgian Commits
sion, Is supporting. These wards O!
the American Red Cross are in charge
of the Cure of the Church of ST
Pierre. Ypres, the good Father De
laere. He now has 131 young girls in
his care. The Cure fought for his
church and his people in Ypres against
shells and firebrands; again and again
he helped extinguish fires kindled or
the roof of his church by climbing VI
!, under shell fire and kicking off the
brands. Until the final evacuation o.
the city he stayed and ministered t.
the people. He is a brave old mar
and a kind and good one At last hi
was ordered out OF Ypres by the Min
: lister of War himself.
During the great Italian battle
American Red Cross men were priv
: ileged to take part With the French
English. and Italians fighting side b!
: side, with our own regular troops no
= yet ready for work in Italy, Americ'
t was represented by the Ambulance
] Corps of the Red Cross and its roll
I ing kitchens. There were Ave ser
y ~tions-about 100 ambulances an,
Y twenty-five auxiliary motor vehicles
and 1875 volunteers. That n section
: alone, during the ten days of sever
fighting, travelled an aggregate of 4
210 kilometers, about $500 miles. II
the six months ending July 31st last
our embulances made 1878 trips. al
aggregate distance of mor than $50
900 miles. The rolling kitchens wer
busy back Of the firing line. Their
are twenty of these kitchens at tn
present time. which serve an aggre
gate Of more than 100000 light meal
! each month-coffee and jams that ar
craved by soldiers. Fifty-four Ameri
can Red Cross men have received tn
, War Cross OF the Italian government
ten have been awarded the silver med
al for valor. and four the bronz'
medal for valor.