The Meeker herald., 1919-03-15


pie, now that hoStilities have CEASED.
the French themselves naturally pre-
fer A. far rs possible to provide for
tkeir own. II has accordingly been de-
termined that the guiding principle Of
Red Cross policy In France henceforth
shall be to have punctiiioua regard to
Its every responsibility, but to direct
Its efforts primarily to assisting
French relief sOciefiex- The liberafed
and devastated regions Of France have
been divided BY the government into
small districts, each ofncialIy assigned
10 . designated French relief org1ni-
xation.
The American Red Cross work In
France was Initiated by 4 commission
Of eighteen men who landed on French
shores June l3 1917. Since then
some 500 persons have been upon the
rolls In France. of whom 1000 were
actively engaged when the armistice
was signed. An indication of the pres
ent scale Of the work will he obtained
from the fact that the services Of 1000
persons are still required.
Our American Expeditionary Force
having largely evacuated England, the
activities Of the Red Cross Commits
sion there are naturally upon dImin-
ishinx scale period. Active operations
are still In progress In Archancei and
Siberia.
The work in Italy has been almost
entirely on behalf Of the civilian pop
uIation Of that country. In the critical
81 Ht~Iw d
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 psrssnnsi - Near East
The occasion for such consentra-
tion Of effort In Italy. England. Bel
GUM and even in France having natur-
ally and FORMALLY diminished. II 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 70 vast
that government alone can meet them.
but the American Red Cross ID 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 coun.
tries In order to coordinate their ae-
tivitIeA, q 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 Po-
land with doctors and nurses. medical
supplies. and food for sick children
and invslids. An American Red Cross
Commission has also been appointed
to aid In relieving the suffering Of Rus
sian prisoners still confined In German
prison campsL
IAN important commission 10 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.
Rsd crsss Will csNtiavs.
Red Cross effort II thus far flung.
II will continue to he 60 but the
movement represented BY this work
has likewise assumed m iatimate 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 he demobilized. All our ex.
perience in the war shows clearly that
there 10 an unlimited field for service
Of the kind which can BE- performed
with peculiar effectiveness by the Red
CroSs. What Its future tasks may he
Il 10 jet Impossible to forecast. We
know that 20 long a. there Is m Amer.
lean army In the field the Red Cross
will have . special function to perform.
''NothIng could he Of greater Impor-
lance to the American Red Cross than
the plans just set In motion By the i've
great Red Cross societies Of the world
to develop q program Of extended &C.
ttvitie4 In the interest Of humanity.
The conception involves not alone ef.
forts to relieve human suffering. hut
TO prevent II; not alone q movement
By the people Of an individual nation
but an attempt to arouse all people "a
. sense Of their responsibility for the
welfare Of their fellow beings through.
ou, the world. II In program both
Ideal and practical. Ideal In that itl
supreme aim ID nothing less than yer.
liable -Peace on earth good will "a
men," and practical In that II seeks to
take means and measures which arr
actually available and make them e.
fectIve In meeting without delay the
crisis which 10 daily recurrcnt In the
lives OF all peoples.
-ror accomplishing Its misslon IN
the years Of peace which must lie
ahead Of MS the Red Cross will require
the abiess possible Leadership. and
must enjoy the continued support. sym.
nathy. and participa ton In Its worn