The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-12

The following statement was authorized by the American Red Cross commission for Europe and issued national head quarters yesterday: At the request of General Pershing, the American Red Cross has appointed a commission to CO., operate with interallied commissions for the feeding, care and repatriation of Russian prisoners of war in Germany
 The interallied body was provided for by the governments participating in armistice conference now established in Berlin. The American Red Cross has al- ready formulated plans for placing at the disposal of commission a personnel experienced in relief work, large stores Of clothing. medical and surgical sup
 plies, food for sick and convalescent prisoners. The American Red Cross will concern itself chiefly supplying articles or the nature mentioned and an organiza- ton which added to that furnished by British Red Cross and other Red Cross societies can inspect prison camps and superintend distribution of supplies. The commission will give particular attention to the care and relief of the sick. pris-
 oners, the number of whom estimated exceed 100000.
 Maj. Carl Taylor, United States army, who has been released from the army to head the American Red Cross mission. will have organization of about 8 men,
 The organization. with headquarters in Berlin, begins work this week. As there are more than 200 camps in Germany at which Russian prisoners are held, the American Red Cross plans to send repre- sentatives on tours of investigation after which workers will be assigned to vari- ous part of Germany, in which they are needed.
 At one time Germany reported 100000 prisoners in it's camps but by deaths and releases this number now is sup posed to have been reduced to about soc, 600. Owing to lack of medical at tention and the fact that Russians are receiving hardly 50 per cent nutriment necessary to keep an unemployed person alive, the death rate among them has been very high. The death rate has also been increased by bad sanitary condi tions. The Russian government is un- able to supply food or care for it's peo- pie and has made no provisions for 1 their repatriation. Besides medical and surgical clothing and convalescent food 1 supplies, the American Red Cross VIII furnish hospital equipment and doctors. | The staff which will accompany Major | Taylor includes eight doctors experienced | in relief work. The American Red Cross | which, it is expected, will have the larg- est representation of any auxiliary of 1 relief organization. and plans to ship, its | supplies from three points. Its store l house in England will send some of the | material already on hand replenlshins | these resources with supplies from Amer
 ica for transshipment to Germany by
 way of Copenhagen where the American Red Cross has depot, which will bs headquarters of it's supply service.
 The shipment of 2500 tons of supple:
 will leave England for Copenhagen this week on the steamship Nero. It is ex pected that a second steamer, which has been furnished to the American Red Gross by the United States navy. will sal from England in two weeks loaded witr clothing, medicines and surgical supplies Supplies will also be sent overland iron American Red Cross depots i'll SwitZer- Hand, where a large quantity of materia has been assembled for relief of Amer ican prisoners in Germany. "Suffering'
 of Russians, who at least, for a time
 fought for the cause of allies are s'
 acute and the call so pathetical for as Il sistance that aid of American Red Cros
 could not properly be denied
 A permanent disaster relief supply uni
 | is the latest organization of peace time l of the American Red Cross for Louisi ana Mississippi and Alabama. The gulf division American Red Gross headouarters in Washington Artiller
 hall, New Orleans, announced the forma
 tion of the unit as an adjunct of tn l department of civilian relief.