New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

as VNcTWHetHlHX since inc signing OF
the armistice as during our darkest
days of war.
The underlying principle Of the Red
Cross has been emergency service, but
we have outgrown this form of organi-
zatlon and the opportunity to develop
working unit of tremendous force and
vitality is knocking at our door. Even
the most excellent Of emergency or
ganizations seldom function properly
when emergencies arise unless they are
in constant state of preparedness, and
am eager to have preparedness made
the keynote, not alone of our Red
Cross, but Of the women Of our coun-
try. 1t is evident that the great
majority of us have become mentally
and spiritually alive to our splendid
opportunity for service, but we must be
unified and so organized practically
made on our womanhood by civic, ma
tional or international crises.
Met Great Disasters
The Halifax disaster, the Guatemala
earthquake, the South Amboy explo-
sion came at a time when we were
mobilized for war relief and, in conse-
quence, we were thoroughly prepared
to help in the rescue work. Never in
assistance been so instant or so syste-
matte. Mental and physical prepared
ness made this possible.
While we must continue our foreign
service until the very end, we are now
privileged to devote a great part Of our
strength to our own communities and
their individual problems, and to pre-
pairing ourselves for whatever the
future may hold. If we weaken our
separate organizations, we weaken our
national organization; for, after all, the
mammoth Red Cross achievements of
the war were only possible because of
the magnificent cohesion and co0pera-
ton of our divisions and chapters.
Now that We have reached the point
where our relation, as women, to the
Red Cross is no longer measured
merely by the standards of war, we
find that our field for helpfulness is
widened. The field changes, but in its
very change opportunity multiplies, for
the demands made on US will be of a
more purely civic nature. And here the
need for intelligent service is never
fully met. The loving sympathy and
untrlng labor that have been devoted
to the children of France, Belgium and
Italy may now be devoted to the chill
dren OF America. Of course. this work
may lack the spectacular phases Of our
recent labors, but l feel that it is in
our work here at home that the prin-
founded will most splendidly develop
Tried by Many Calls
The influenza scourge, OF which half
Is still not known to US, spread through
the country like wildfre. Physicians
and nurses, already burdened beyond
their strength, were overwhelmed, and
the Red Cross chapters sent their aids
and nursing assistants to the rescue
This form OF service was true of every
community invaded by the disease.
This experience has made the Red
Cross feel that in public health nurs.
ing and in providing unlimited home
nursing in times like these lie one of
tartan service.
The local chapters must be the
mediums through which the work is
carried on. They are being stimulated
to interest themselves in the health
situation of their communities and to
study measures already being used fo,
the preservation of the public health
Where our chapters in the large cities
find we'll organized agencies already in
existence they are urged to work with
these agencies and help in financing
them. We are also urging chapters in
cities to devote aid to districts in the
Southern mountains unable to support
nursing service.
We are considering a system Of
sch olarships to make postgraduate
training available to- nurses unable
otherwise to secure it. Back of all our
nursing programme is the sincere effort
to raise the standard of the profession
We hope that many graduate nurses
about to be relieved from military duty
may be directed into public health
nursing and educational work and SO
cooperate with our local chapters and
divisional organizations. Our regular
Red Cross courses of home hygiene and
care of the sick, home detetics and
hrst aid will be continued, for their
value has been proven everywhere in
the country during these winter
months. The first aid is not under the
control of the Chapter Nursing Ser
working with the Committee on Can
teen Service, Motor Corps Service and
other military relief activities.
Would Maintain Standards
There is no doubt in my mind as to
the intention and desire of our Ameri-
can women to live up to the standard
set by these years of service. Those
who had the faith and courage to carry
on when menaced by dreadful foe
Will have the patience and determina-
ton to carry on when confronted by
peace-time problems of child welfare
and public sanitation, the control of
contagious and infectious diseases, the
spread of truancy among school chill
dren and other situations that compli-
cate our daily living.
The war has proved that the courage
to endure and to die for humanity is
sexless; let these coming years prove
that the courage to work and to live
Tor humanity is also sexless. We are
facing the greatest constructive mis-
sion ever known to mankind; the Red
Cross, through its millions of women
members, looks forward to an accom-
plshment in which all peoples NAV
nave a part and which will draw us
into closer and more enduring fellow