The St. Mary banner., 1919-01-25
What the American Red
Cross Has Done.

Some idea of the size to vhio,
your Red Cross family has provn
may be gathered from the follov.
ing facts:
On May |. 1917 jnst before the AN.
pointment nf the War Council m.
American Red cross had 4s6 Ios
members working Through So ch,nl
terS.
/ Oa July 81, 1918, the organization
numbered 2o,64S, lo3 annual memhors
besides 5000, 900 members of the In.,'
ior Red Cross-a total enroll mon, ~
over one-.ourth the population Of IN.
United States, '"0
These members now carry on .ho;-
Red Cross work through 1854 cha
ters, which again divide themselva.
j into 10000 branches and auxiliar;ss
Since the beginning of the war vn.
of the chapters have co-operatea w;,b
the War Council in CONDUCTING ,wn
war fund drives and one membership
drive, in addition to the campaipn op
! behalf Of the junior Red Cross.
4 The total actual collections To d.,.
from the first war fund have amounted
to more than Sll5 900 600 The ,uh.
scrlptlons to the second war fund
amounted to upwards of sl76, 900 ono
From membership dues the coIlec.
tons have amounted to approximate.
iy 1924 500 600
, 10 The foregoing must be added that
very large contribution of materials
! and time given by the millions of vo.
men throughout the country in surpi-
cal dressings, in knitted articles. in
/ hospital and refugee garments, in
i canteen work. and the other activities
the chapters have been called upon tn
! perform
1t is estimated that approximately
! 3 ~ U, uO0 women are engaged in can.
| teen work and the production o. re-.
lief supplies through the chap'ers.
! For the period up to July /, 1918.
American Red Cross chapters, Though
their workrof ms, bad produced:
4a0, l2O refugee garments.
7,l23, 62l hospital supplies.
10. 1856, 4S9 hospital garments.
10. l3i, sol knitted articles.
1872, lis, l07 surgical dressings.
A total of 22l .2S2. s3S articles-of
an estimated aggregate value of at
least S44 900, ,OCO.
These articles were largely the pro-
duct of wOmen's hands, and. bv the
same token. Infinitely more precious
than could have been the output OF
factories or machines These articles
going into the operating rooms of the
hos iita S. to home ess or needy re-
fugees, and carrying comfort to our
own boys in the fed, convey mes.
sage of love from the women of this
country entirely distinct from the
great money value attaching to their
hand work.
By tie terms under which the first
Red Crs SIS war fund was raised, the
chapters were entitled to retain Is pr
cent. If the amount collected. in order
to dt fray local expenses. to carry on
their home service work to purchase
materials to re utilized ia chapter
production and otherwise to meet the
numerous calls made uIon them. The
chapters were thus entitled to retain
nearly $29, 900, 600. AS matter of
to only about 50, 900 900.
Out of collections from annual
ms mherships, the chapters have re-
tanned about 81, 100000
From this total sum, therefore, OF
s33, 900 600 retained by the chapters,
they have met all the oftentimes very
heavy local d. tmands upon them. and
in addition have provided for use by
National Headquarters products
valued. as stated above, at upwards
of S44, 600. 900
The chapters have in effect returned
to the War Couucil, not alone the
S33, 900, 600 retained out of the war
fund and membership dues but, in
value Of actual product. an additional
contribution of at least Sll 900 900.
1t will thus be seen that during the
eighteen months VII ch have elapsed
since the United States entered the
war. the American people will have
either paid in or pledged to the
American Red Cross for its work OF
relief through shOut the world. in money
or in material values, net total ut
at least 1925. 600, 900.