The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-04
Allied Armies Launch
 Local Campaign For
 Red Cross Membership
Work of the Red Cross in WarDevasated Europe Graph icaly Portrayed by Eye-Witnesses at Opening Dinner of Campaign-Field Marshal Rush
 ton and Generals to Direct Drive

Starting with a very interest ing programme following a
 dinner at the Tutwiler hotel
 last night the Red Cross mem- bership campaign in Birming-
 ham is now on in full force. Be- tween now and the 11th day of November, when the drive closes, every man and woman
 in Birmingham will be given the opportunity to join this great organization.
 Field Marshal J. Frank Rushton pre- sided and very interesting and able talks were made by pr. John McNeill, pastor of the South Highland Presby- terian church; Val J. Nesbitt, county chairman of the campaign Major G. K. Weston, of national headquarters at Washington; Mrs W. D. Smith. Mrs. H. H. Shell and Mrs. B. F. Wilkerson. In addition to the addresses the pro- gramme consisted of solo by Mrs. T L. Bissel and vocal numbers by the AsaSnudhOH SlblcIs, NuO dTG Dllleu at
 Loew's Bijou this week. They were well received
 As on all former occasions when the allied armies assembled for luncheon or dinner, General John Sparrow of the Very Light Artillery. started off the evening with few witticisms, followed by reading the orders of the day.
 PURPOSES OF CAMPAIGN
 briefly the purposes of the campaign the work of the Red Cross and the duty of the people of Birmingham to respond to this call for members. He stated that no subscriptions for campaign ex- penses would be taken in this campaign, as the Birmingham chapter had funds on hand left over from collections mads for this purpose during the war and the executive officers having decided to ap- propriate such part of this as was nee cssary and thereby relieve the cam paign committee of the necessity of so licting subscriptions, and the people of Birmingham of the extra burden of con tributing cash subscriptions in addition to joining the order.
 He urged all workers to go at the task in hand with the determination to put 1t over in the shortest possible time.
 Dr. John McNeill. who served in the British Y. M. c. A. during the war. re- signing the pastorate of a church in Denver, Colo, to do so. He spoke Of the work of the American Red Cross in France, with which he came in contact, and praised It's men and women for their heroic services. The work of the Red Cross is never ended, he said. the field for it's operations in peace times being even larger than in war. The Red Cross he said, could know no national or geographical boundaries but must give relief to the suffering wherever they may be, whether it be in America, Ar menia, Turkey. the Balkans. Palestine or elsewhere,
 Mrs. w D. Smith, general of the Rain bow division; Mrs. IT H. Shell of the county division, and Mrs. B. F. .Wilker- son of the county division, spoke of the need of the Red Cross in the country where thousands of children die an- nually because of the ignorance of their mothers.
 STARVING THOUSANDS
 Major G. K. Weston, who served in the sanitary corps of the American Red Cross in France, then as dishursng of ficer and later in Palestine. told of the condition of the Armenians who were driven into Palestine and Syria by the Turks. of their starvation and death by the thousands, of the Red Cross work
 
 doctors. nurses and ambulances were the first to reach the plant near Paris, where hand grenades exploded. killing or wounding hundreds, and that it was American Red Cross doctors, nurses and ambulances who first reached the church in Paris. in which on Good Friday a shell from a German long range gun exploded. killing 75 men. women and children and wounding 90 others.
 The American Red Cross went to Pal estine at the request of the British gov ernment. Major Weston said, and dur ing its services there fed and clothed thousands of Armenians who had been driven from their homes in Armenia by the Turks. They were given work to do by the Red Cross. which had sent over to America for cloth. which the Armenia women made into clothes for themfelves and Aheir children. They were not asking charity. he said. but wanted to work and earn what they re- ceived from the Red Cross.
 JEFFERSON'S QUOTA
 All members of the allied armies will take the field this morning and during the next week will call upon every man and woman in Birmingham and Jeffer- son county. Jefferson county's quota Is not so large as in other campaigns during the war. but several thousand must be enrolled to reach that quota.
 Following the general meeting last night several of the divisions held con