The Springfield herald., 1919-03-07

Wv ~" th"t HoSt'HtieS HASe Cea4eO,
the, French themselves naturally pre-
fer rs far as possible to provide for
their own. 1t has accordingly been de-
termined thnt the guiding principle Of
Red Cross policy in France hengeforth
shall be to have punctllious regard to
Its every responsibility, but to direct
It's efforts primarily to assisting
French relief societies. Tho Liberated
nnd devastated regions of France have
been divided by the government into
small districts, each officially assisnNd
to n designated French relief orfahi.
cation.
"The American Red Gross work In
France was initiated by d commksson
OF eighteen men who landed on IfehA
shores juno 13, 1917. Since then
some 5000 persons have been upon TIE
rolls in France. of whom 1000 were
nc"vc.y eneuscd when tho armistlce
was signed. An ind alton Of tl,4 pres.
ent scale oc the work will bo Obtained
from the fact that the services Of GOO
persons are still required.
"Our American Expeditionary Force
having largely evacuated England, the
activities of tho Red Cross Commits.
sion there are naturally upon q dlmln-
ishing scale period. Active operations
are still In progress In Archangel and
Siberia.
1.-THE work in Italy has been almost
entirely on behalf of the civilian pop-
ulation Of that country. In tho critical
hours of 1taly's struggle tho American
people, through their Red Cross, sent
n practical message Of sympathy and
relief, for which the government and
people of Italy have never ceased to
express their gratitude.
Supplies and Personnel to Near East.
"The occasion for such concentra-
ton of effort in I'a' ---Innd. Bel
gium and even in Erul.e, | 'ng nQtur.
ally and normally diminished, 1t has
been possible to. divert supp. rs and
personnel In large measure to a'd
of those people in tho Near IL. "
have hitherto been inaccessible to "G,
side assistance. but whose sufferIngs
nave been upon an appalling scale.
The needs of these peoples are so vast
that government alone can meet them,
but the American Red Cross Is making
an effort to relieve Immediately the
more acute distress.
SAn 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 &C.
dvities, Balkan commission has been
established, with headquarters ut
JfuIx ,,,I,; ;,I,
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 invalids. An American Red Cross
Commission has also been appointed
to aid In relieving the suffering Of Rus
sian prisoners still confined In German
prison camps
"An important commission Is still
working In Palestine. Through tho
war special cooperation has been
given to the Armenian and Syrian Re-
lief Commission, which was tho only
agency able to carry relief In the in
terror of Turkish dominions.
Red Cross Will Continue.
"Red Cross effort is thus far flung
1t will continue TO be so. But the
movement represented by this work
has likewise assumed an intimate 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-be demobiizcd. All our eK-
perience in the war shows clearly that
there is an unlimited field for service
Of the kind which can be performed
with peculiar effectiveness by tho Red
Gross. What It's future tasks may be
t is yet impossible to forecast. We
know that so long as there is an Amer
can army in the field the Red Cross
will have special function to perform.
Nothing could be of greater fmpor-
.ancc to the American Red Cross than
.he plans just set in motion by the five
great Red Cross societies of'thc world
20 develop program of extended ac-
tivitieS In the interest U. humanity.
The conception involves not alone cf-
forts to relieve human suffering. but
to prevent it; not alone movement
by the people of an individual na Ion,
but an attempt to arouse all people to
n sense of their responsibility for the
welfare. of their fellow beings through
out the world. 1t Is a program both
ideal and practical. Ideal in that Its
supreme aim is nothing less than YER
table peace on earth good will to
men," and practical in that it seeks to
take means and measures which are
actually available and make them ef-
fcctive in meeting without delay the
,risis which is daily rccurrent In the
ives of all peoples.
"For accomplishing its mission In
he years Of peace which must lie
lhead of us the Red Crossswilf require
he ablest possible leadership, aud
nue. enjoy the continued support, SYM
'athy, and participation in its work
# the whole American people II is
fortunate that such man
IS DR.. Livingston Farrand should save
een selected as the pernan7rT -heI5
II the organization. The uFsriurc1
ashton in which al, our peoU'H gave
f themselves throughout the var Ia
he best assurance that our Red Cross
ill continue to receive that co-opera-
ion which viii make its work source
t pride and inspiration to every Amer
an"