The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-20
FARRELL IN TOWN
TOpekan Now With Railroad
Administration at Capital.
Here Collecting Material for a
Kansas Booklet.
He WAS IN RED CROSS WORK
Says C.. b. Merriam Was One of
Best known Officers.
Kansas Must Do Advertising
Now, FARRELL Declares.

Frank FARRELL is in town after an
absence of over half a year, having
been engaged in Red Cross work at
the debarkation hospital at Newport
News. Va, two months, the remainder
of the time with the L. S. Railroad
administration. He now is supervisor
of the homeseekers bureau. a new
development organization which was
described in the State Journal
Wednesday by J. L. Edwards of Wash
inEton. manager of the agricultural
section of the railroad administration.
Il left Topeka in July to go to
France to do Red Cross work on invi-
tation of Henry ]. Allen" Mr.. farrell
said, but before my plans could be
shaped in Washington, Mr.. Allen re
signed from the Red Cross to go with
the 35th division for the Y. NJ C. A.
This upset my calculation. I told c.
3. Merriam. who was at the head of
the personnel section of the Red Cross
about it. and he took me into his or
Eanization, sending me to Newport
News. Changes in the Red Cross took
place so rapidly on account of the
draft, that within a week after [ ar
rived at Newport News, [ had been on
the job longer than anybody else, and
was in charge of Red Cross activities
in the big army hospital. which was
receiving the overseas casualty cases,
and distributing them from there to
hOSDlLdlS IN QlI1erGnC parts OF the
country, SO that the boys could be as
near their homes a s possible
My hospital assignment gave me a
most wonderful experience, and it is
likely that L could not have found
more things to do had l been per-
mitted to go to France. 1 was at
Newport News when the first ship
load of wounded from Chateau Thierry
came in. There were 210 men on the
list, shot, gassed and shell-shocked.
and in every conceivable condition of
disa bility. 1 had the good fortune
to be able to meet the transport and
help bring the wounded to the hospi-
tai. From then on wounded came at
the rate of 200 a week. The COM
manding officer of the hospital, who
was regular fellow, saw every patient
daily, and the Red Cross organization
had his close cooperation. All the
financial and domestic difficulties of
the soldiers, as well as the mix-ups
over allotments and insurance, We're
handled by the Red Cross. There
was work aplenty, varied and full of
interest.
Merriam Was Popular
I want to take this opportunity
of saying that c. B. Merriam has the
reputation at Washington of being one
of the best officers ever connected
with the American Red Cross. He
was a topnotcher from the time he
entered the service till he quit"
In September farrell resigned his
Ted Cross position to become a mem
Der of the bureau for suggestions and
complaints of the railroad administra-
ton, and an January l. took charge of
the homeseekers' bureau. which is a
part of the agricultural section of the
railroad administration His job is to
present to homeseekers the opportuni-
ties in the undeveloped parts of the
United States, working with the agri-
cultural agents of the several railroads
under federal control His visit to
Kansas has to do with the collection
of material for the Kansas booklet
which will be published by the railroad
administration, for distribution among
hOmeseekers.
In a single day last week, farrell