New-York tribune., 1919-10-20
Dawson Report Gives Credit
to Women of Nation in
Making S94,OOO,OOO of
Supplies for r e Ii e f
Aids Army and Navy Men
Canteen and Base Hospital
Work Developed Remark
ably, New Figures Show

World War IS made the subject Of the
Red Cross, made public here to-day by
Henry P. Dawson, chairman.
While the work of organization
overseas brought 0nbounded glory to
the Red Cross, the light thrown in this
report upon the activities on this side
Of the Atlantic show that the workers
who remained here served no less
faithfully. no less cheerfully and with
the same high efficiency which marked
the service Of the canteen girls, nurses
and welfare workers in France.
Eight million chapter women" says
the report with the help of many of
the junior members, produced in the
twenty months, ending February %,
1919, more than 371,500 900 relief ar
ticles, with value of nearly S94 600, 900.
for the benefit of the American. and
Allied soldiers and sailors and desti-
tute civilians. "
Vast Quantities of Supplies
Surgical dressings. hospital garments
and supplies. refugee garments and ar
tices for soldiers and sailors were
made in vast quantities at thousands
of Red Cross chapter headquarters all
iver the United States. as we'll as in
man more private homes. Most of
these supplies went overseas. In addi-
ton, the organization undertook to
make great many special relief ar
ticles required by the surgeon general
of the army, the government providing
the raw material and the Red Cross re-
turning the finished articles without
cost. Under this arrangement 22,637,-
$50 articles were made, with total
value of s3,334 900.
1t was in the production of relief
supplies also that the junior members
OF the Red Cross played their most i'm
portant part Their work in this con-
nectlon was not confined to the stand
ard articles made by the senior mem
hers, but extended TO making furniture
games, spints, hospital appliances and
specially prepared foods The produc-
tive WORK done by children represented
about 10 per cent of the whole.
After some initial difficulty in get
ting well-trained and SYMPATHETIC
workers, the home service activity of
the Red Cross became wonderful sue
cess. Nearl, $40 900 900 was spent in
TINS work, but the report makes plain
that the money value does not ade-
quately represent the magnitude or
the. Importance of this service. In
various ways, it is estimated, home
service was extended to 500 900 fami-
lles, or practically one out of every
eight families that had man in the
service.
Canteen Service Widespread
Few parts of the work done by the
Red Cross workers in the United States
appealed to the individual soldier or
sailor more than the canteen service.
the report shows. In this country
alone nearly 1000 900 cookies, dough
nuts and pies and $1,000 900 sand
%iches were distributed by girl volun-
teers while the soldiers were en- route
from camp to camp. Then there were
100000 bars of chocolate, so 900 %
quarss Of ice cream, 100000 bushels of
1ru't and other good things which went
70 the soldier free. In all refresh
ments were served 4o,0oO,oo0 times.
me Red. Cross nursing se.vice. "
says the report, might we'll be termed
the epltome of the Red Cross as a
"hole. Always one of the most i'm
portant branches of. the organization
its importance was greatly enhance
with the coming of the war. During
tnls period It's principal task was to
OBTAIN and equip trained nurses 70,
the army and navy. During the twenty
months ended February %. 1919 81
ez2 nurses were enrolled by the Rec
Approximately $4,000 600 was an
propnated for carr. ing on the variou:
phases of the nursing service work II
the United States. A single item CON
sisted OF an appropriation of more tha,
So'ooo,ooo tor equipment of nurses VIII,
were sent into overseas service Th,
operation OF the nursin. bureaus at tn,
national and divisional headouarters
which directed and carried on all tn,
WORK. cost approximately s465,0OO."
Every Man Helped
1t Is estimated that the camp ser
vice of the Red Cross helped in sow,
way every soldier, sailor and marin
IN the service during the war The op
eaations of the work were extended /
"59 camps, flying fields and othe
military establishments. This actiyit,
involved the distribution of comfor
articles, the rendering of service +
men IN hospitals. the operation Of
communication service between me,
and their families, and other wo,t -
similar nature.
The Red Cross did great work a
shown by the report, in aiding serv;c
.ien ! IN the solution of family Difficult
''ess thousands of cases were investi
sa"eo "here men were worrvino ovo
tnelr homes, and, if the situation war
rshseo, the Red Cross representative
recommended furloughs or dischar,a,
TO men "' were MAD
me organization Of base hosn,ta,
anu ambulance companies early IN ~
wa. formed an important part ~ W
activities OF the Red Cross A,tooa.sn sn
hity-eight base hospitals were orear sar
'zeo, ana forty seven Of these ,.a -
equipped by local chapters of the ~,
san'zatlon with complete outfits =
beds, bedding, surgical instrmmon,
ana other supplies and accessor;es 4.
OF winch were presented to the uovsrr
nent when the units were ms,stera
m In round figures, SO 900 600 wa
spent IN equipping such hospitals. III
hec cross also organized fortv-sevo
ambulance companies, with ner.o,
mel OF 1850 man, which later we,
taken over by the army.
Helping Crippled Soldiers
The Dawson report describe. IN
ned cross institute for Crippled an
Disabled Soldiers, which is sunni.
menting the work of the army: il tell
OF the distribution of comfort article
IN this country to men of the service
further, 1t relates the activities Of tn
motor corps, but for want of space
necessarily omits many other hiyhtl
important services which the Red 2ro.
performed in America. The indivdna
snort Of local chapters cannot h
touched on In detail, although b,o