The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-03-27

pie, now that hOstillties have cease.
the French themselves naturally pre- |
fer az far as possible to provide for
their own. 1t has accordingly been DE-
tsrmined that the guiding principle e
Red Gross policy in France hencefortA
shall be to have punctiliOus regard -
its every responsibility. but to dirost |
its efforts primarily to assisting
French relief societies. The liberated
and devastated regions of France have
been divided by the government int
small districts, each officially assigned
to a designated French relief organt
ration.
THE American Red Cross work h
France was initiated by 4 commissAsa
Of eighteen men who landed on French
shores June ID, 1917. Since then
some 5000 persons have been upon ths
rolls in France, Of whom 1000 were
actively engaged when the armistics
was signed. An indication Of the pres
snt scale Of the work will b obtained
from the fact that the services Of A0oe
persons are still required.
"Our American .Expeditionary Feres
having largely evacuated England. ths
activities Of the Red Cross Commie
sion there are naturally upon . dimin-
ishing 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
q practical message Of sympathy and
relief, for which the government and
people of Italy have never ceased -
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 has
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 the
more acute distress.
"An extensive group Of American
workers has been dispatched to carry
vitality needed supplies, and to WORK
this winter in the various Balkan c0un-
tries. In order to coordinate their ac-
tivities, Balkan commission has been
established, with headquarters at
Rome, Italy, from which point alone
all the Balkan centers can be reached
promptly.
"A commission has just reached Pc
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 ID still
working In Palestine. Through the
war special cooperation has been
given to the Armenian and Syrian Re-
lief Commission, which was the only
agency able to carry relief In the In.
terror of Turkish dominions.
Red Cross viii Continue.
"Red Cross effort Is thus far, flung.
It will continue to be so. But the
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-
perience in the war shows clearly that
there Is an unlimited field for servics
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
lean army In the field the Red Cross
will have special function to perform.
Nothing could be of greater impor-
lance to the American Red Cross than
the plans just set in motion by the five
great Red Cross societies of the world
TO develop program Of extended &C.
tivities In the interest Of humanity.
The conception involves not alone ef
forts to relieve human suffering, but
to prevent 1t; not alone a movement
by the people of an individual nation
but an attempt to arouse all people t.
sense of their responsibility for the
welfare of their fellow beings through
out the world. II Is program boti
ideal and practical. Ideal In that III
supreme aim Is nothing less than yer
table peace on earth good will t
men," and practical In that 1t seeks t,
take means and measures which ar,
actually available and make them eff
fective In meeting without delay tn,
crisis which is daily recurrent In tn
lives of all peoples.
"For accomplishing its mission Il
. the years of peace which must II
ahead of us the Red Cross will requir
! the ablest possible leadership, an,
, must enjoy the continued support, SYN
, pathy, and participation in Its worl
/. Of the whole American people. 1t