The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-10-24
AS was inevitable, there were thous-

As was inevitable, there were thous-
ands of soldiers families who found
themselves in conditions of difficulty
and often of distress. Immediately
the great home service of the Red
Cross was created to meet the situa-
ton. That work is known in every
community of the country. To the
soldiers in camp and cantonment, the
Red Cross offered and gave it's aid.
With the troops in transit the Canteen
service has made a record which can
v die. All these activities, car
ried on wherever called for at home
and abroad, make up the story of your
Red Cross.
And, now, one great important fact
must be made clear to everyone, and
that is this: The war task of the Red
Cross is not yet ended. With the de-
mobilization of the last regiments we
can see the close of certain chapters
of Red Cross work, but until every
soldier so discharged has found his
place in his home community, where
yer that may be, there still remains
a Red Cross responsibility; until every
family adversely affected by war con-
ditions has been placed as firmly as
may be on its feet, the Red Cross work
has not been terminated. At no time
has the activity Of home service sec
tions been as great as it is today, and
we must look forward to active SER
vice in that field for many months to
come.
And still another task born of the
wal cannot be turned aside. The Red
Cross work in France and Italy and
Belgium can now safely be turned over
to those countries themselves to COM
plete; but in eastern Europe, ravaged
by battle for nearly five years, there
comes a call which America must heed.
In all the Balkans, in Poland, in the
new countries that have been set up,
the distress and suffering are still be-
You'd all hope Of adequate relief from
native sources. The most fundament-
al problem is not that of food and
clothing, but is to build up the vitality
of peoples weakened by years of war
and privation. From the Baltic to the
Mediterranean ONE a great call to
the Red Cross for help in fighting dis
ease, and to aid in building up through
out eastern Europe a standard of
health protection which shall insure
the future of those people. Without
such a bulwark the war will have been
fought in vain.
And to that task the Red Cross pro-
poses to put it's hand during this com.
ing year. By act of congress millions
Of dollars worth of surplus medical
and surgical supplies have been placed
at the disposal of the Red Cross fol
relief in those countries. Through
your generosity the Red Cross still,
has a considerable amount of valuable
material which will go far to relieve
the situation. We do not propose tt
assume the responsibility of complete.
ly caring for those vast populations
but we do propose to stand with them
and with such counsel, service and aio
as we can legitimately give, to con.
tribute to a firm foundation upo1
which the future welfare of these oun
tries may be built. For this purpose
the Red Cross is asking the Amer
lean people, not for huge sums to be
poured into Europe, but simply fol
sufficient money effectively to dis
tribute the material now placed il
our hands and to send where it may
be necessary those competent to give
the best in aid and advice that Amer
lean experience and sympathy al Of
fer. The success of this work is al.
ready assured, and of the response Of
the American people to this call there
is not the slightest doubt.
I have spoken to you of the pas
and of the present, but what of the