The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1919-03-21


tho French themselves naturally prr.
fer as far ~ possible 20 provide for
their own. II has accordingly been de-
teruiined that the eoiding principle 81
Red Cross policy IN France ~henceforth
shall be to have punctilious regard 10
lts every responsibility, but to direct
lis Efforts primarily 70 assisting
French relief societies The liberated
and devastated regions OF France have
been divided by the government into
small districts. each ofhcially assigned
TO a designated French relief ofgnni.
ration.
The American Red Cross work In
France was Initiated By a commission
OF eighteen men who landed on French
shores June ~. 1911. Since then
some 1900 persons have been upon the
rolls In France, Of whom 1900 were
actively engaged when the armlstlce
was signed. An Indication 81 the pres.
ent scale Of the work viii he obtained
from the fact that the services Of 1900
persons are stili required.
"Our American Expeditionary Force
having largely evacuated England, the
activities Of the Red Cross Commits.
sion there are naturally upon a dlmln.
ishing scale period. Active operations
are still In progress In Archangel and
siberia.
The work In Italy has been almost
entirely m behalf Of the civilian pop
ulation Of that country. In the critical
hours OF itnly's~ struggle the 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 Italy, England. Bel.
GUM and even In France having natur.
ally and normally diminished. Il 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 20 out
side assistance. but whose suferlngs
have been upon an appalling scale.
The needs Of these peoples are 90 vast
that government alone can meet them.
but the American Red Cross IA 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 10 work
this winter In the various Balkan coun.
tries In order 10 coordinate their nc.
t%lyitles, n Balkan commission has been
established. with HEADQUARTERS az
ROW Italy. from which point alone
all Se Balkan centers can be reached
promptly.
"A commission has Just reached 20.
land with doctors aud nurses, medical
supplies, and food for sick children
aud lnvallds. An American Red Cross
Commission has also been appointed
to aid In relieving the suffering Of Rus.
sian prisoners stlll confined In German
prison camps.
can important commission IL still
working In Palestine. Through the
war special cooperation has been
given 10 the Armenian and Syrian Re.
lief Commission, which was the only
agency able to carry relief In the In.
terror Of Turkish domlnlona.
RED Gross VIII contInus.
RED Cross effort il thus far flung.
Il will continue 10 be 80. But the
movement represepted by this work
has likewise assumed an Intimate place
In the daily life OF our people al home.
The army OF workers which has been
recruited and trained during the war
must o be demobllized. An our ex.
perlence in the war shows clearly that
there Is an unlimited field for service
OF the kind which can be performed
with peculiar effectiveness by the Red
Cross. what lts future tasks may be
Il IL yet impossible TO forecast. We
know that 20 long as there IL an Amer.
lean army In the field the Red Cross
will have a special function TO perform.
"Nothlng could be OF greater impor.
lance to the American Red Cross than
the plans just set In motion by the Eve
great Red Cross societies OF the world
TO develop a program Of extended nc.
tivitics In the interest Of humanity.