The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-02-05

|
and manned soldiers to be cared for
and settled in useful avocations ii
possible; there are widows and Or
plans to be comforted and assisted.
So far as our own soldiers are con-
cerned the Red Cross will continue
its work among them until they are
returned to civil life, which will not
be for some time yet.
But great deal Of the work of the
Red Cross begins where the work Of
the army ceases. During the war
there was vast territory behind the
fighting lines which could not be
reached by the friendly and minister
ing bands of Red Cross workers. Des.
titution and starvation might reign
supreme, but nothing could be done
until the barriers had been removed
by the allied military forces. North
ern France and Belgium have been
| liberated from the hands of the in
| vaders, but Eastern Europe still
| presents closed door to the humani-
tartan workers. In Poland, in Lithu-
ania and Esthonia, in large sections
! of Russia, in the Balkans, in Armenia,
Syria and Palestine-in all these is
the direst restitution and misery
which must be relieved, and the Red
Cross is the agency through which it
must be done.
When Marshal Foch by the terms
of the armistice had practically dis
armed the central powers he did not
Immediately withdraw his troops; he
placed them in enemy territory at
advantageous points to see that the
agreement was lived up to. He did
not give the Germans a chance to re-
form their lines and recover the ad-
vantage lost through their defeat.
His men are still con the job" and
will continue under arms until the
edicts of the peace conference are put
into effect
Similarly the Red Cross must re-
main modified and it's wonderfully
efficient machinery used to the full
est extent for the humanitarian pur-
poses for which it was organized.
Long before the great world war
the Red Cross had been in existence,
doing noble work in the relief Of dis
tress wherever calamity had befallen
human beings. Storms, floods, explo
sions, pestilence and famine, in what
ever part of the world they had
befallen, made work for the Red
Gross, and right nobly did it respond
on every occasion. This war is the
greatest calamity that ever has fallen
upon the world, and the work of de-
struction has been so complete that
practically nations will have to be re-
built. The work of the Red Cross will
go on for years, and until the world
has been rehabilitated.
Each member of the Red Cross
and practically every resident of Cor
dove. is a member-will be expected
to continue his or her interest In the
work of the organization. There is
much to be done, and each should do
his or her part.
There is particular need at the pres
emit time for workers at the local head
quarters, and the lady members OF
the organization should not neglect
this most important task.
A timely article in the Red Cross
Bulletin says:
Nearly three months have elapsed
since the signing of the armistice,
and while the diplomatic agents of the
United States and the allied nations
are engaged in arranging the prelimi-
naries of the peace conference, at
tention is being drawn more and more
to the distress crying for relief
throughout the world. The fires that
caused the holocaust have been extin-
guished or have burned out; but the
extremity of human misery is only
beginning to be realized.
zone of the important questions Of
the hour concerns the part which the
American Red Cross and the other
Red Cross organizations of the world
shall play In dealing with the relief
problems that are pressing for solu-
ton, and that will continue to demand
systematic consideration until the
world has been restored to something |
like it's normal salt.
"The main point to be kept in mind |
for the present is that the need for
relief work will tax the power Of all
existing agencies, so that, from the
strictly Red Cross standpoint there
need be no doubt about there being |
plenty to do. 1t is simply question