Gunnison news-champion., 1919-03-21

. - toe worE a0oo0 TIE Fronch peo-
ps@ Dow. thst hosellitiss have csased,
the Freach themselves naturally prs-
fee - oar - peaahos 10 gpsovide for
their own. II has aecordingIy been d.
termined that ths guiding principle OF
Red Croes policy In Frsnes hencsforth
shall b to have punctilious resard to
its every responsibility. bat to direct
its Efforts primarily to assisting
Brench relief societieA The liberated
and devastated rssioas Of France have
been divided BY the government into
small districtn. each od3cially assigned
to Q designated French relief orrani.
xatiou.
The American Red Cross WORK in
Franco was initiated By q commission
OF eighteen men who landed on French
shores June Is. 1917. Since then
some 1000 persons have been upon the
rolls In Tsncs. Of whom 1000 we're
actively engaged when the armistics
was signed An indicatioo Of the pres
ent scale Of the work win b obtained
from the fact that the services Of 1000
persons are stili required.
~Our American Expeditionary Force
having largely evacuated England. the
activities Of the Red Cross Commis-
sion there are naturally upon . dimin-
ishing scale period. Active operations
are stfll b progress In Archangel and
Siberia.
The work in Italy has been almost
entirely on behalf Of the civilian pop
ulation Of that country. In the critical
hours Of Italy's struggle the American
people. through their Red Cross. sent
Q practical message OF sympathy and
relief. for which the government and
people Of Italy have never ceased to
express their gratitude.
suppliss and Personnel to Near East
''The occasion for such conccntra-
tion Of effort In Italy. England. Bel
GUM and even In France having natur-
ally and normally diminished, II has
been possible to divert supplies and
personnel In large measure to the aid
OF those people In the Near East who
have hitherto been inaccessible TO out
side assistance. but whose sufrerings
have 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.
IAN 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 nc.
tivities. a Balkan commission has been
established. with headquarters at
Rome, Itnly. from which point alone
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
70 aid In relieving the suffering Of Rus
Sian prisoners still confined In German
prison campa
"An important commission 10 still
working In Palestine Through the
war special cooperation has been
given TO the Armenian and Syrian Re-
lief Commission. which was the only
agency able to carry relief In the In.
terror Of Turkish dominions
Red Cross VIII Continue.
"Red Cross effort II thus far flung.
II will continue to be 30. But the
movement represented BY this work
has likewise assumed an Intimate place
In the daily life of our people at home.
~ ~ srorn hGnh No.
recruited and trained during the war
must not be demobiiized. All our ex.
perience In the war shows clearly that
there IL an unlimited aeld for service
Of the kind which can bs performed
with peculiar effectiveness by the Red
CrosA What its future tasks may be
Il Ii yet impossible to forecast. We
know that 30 long a. there 10 an Amer.
lean army In the field the Red Cross
will have Q special function to perform.
Nothing could be Of greater impor-
iance to the American Red Cross than
the plans just set In motion By the i've
great Red Cross societies Of tho world
10 develop program Of extended ac-
tivities In the interest Of humanity.
The conception Involves not alone ef.
forts to relieve human suffering. but
to prevent IL: not alone Q movement
By the people Of an individual nation,
but an attempt to arouse all people to
Z sense Of their responsibility for the
welfare Of their fellow beings through.
out the world. II Il Z program both
ideal and practical. Ideal In that its
aunneno aim in nothing 1S.aa than vsr
table .Psace on earth good WIN to
men," and practical In that It seeks to
take means and measures which are
actually available and make them Of.
fective in fneeting without delay the
crisis which Is daily recurrent In the
lives Of all peopleA
'For accomplishing Its mission in
the years OF peace which must lie
ahead of us the Red Cross will require
the ablest possible leadership, and
must enjoy the confa ued support, sym
Dathy. and DartfciDatfOn I'm its work