Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-15
RED CROSS AID
GREATEST EVER
Soldier Returning from France
Praises Highly Work of Or
ganiZatiOn in France.

"If the people of Rock Island
could know of the work of the Red
Cross the same as the men in uni
form do, both in this county and
over there, a 100 per cent member
ship would be voluntary said Pri-
vate Matt Pleasant, who has just
returned from France and lives at
1902 Seventeenth street, when
asked this morning about his eX-
perience with this organization at
home environments and abroad
Their thoughtful service was with
us from start to finish. The last
thing before sailing and the first
thing on returning TO this country
was Red Cross service for US, and
on the otherside the Red Cross Ger
tainly helped wonderfully in keep
ing the boys going"
Rock Island has several returned
men who have expressed the same
thought as Private Pleasant when
they registered at headquarters for
welcome home roll and in most ev-
cry instance they are of the opinion
that their home town has been over
the top with its membership drive
long before this. They think that
others than soldiers should also
realize the great accomplishment
of this organization and feel. it an
honor as much as a duty to be
member
Plans for the Sunday afternoon
house TO house canvass for Red
Cross memberships by the commun-
ity service girls of Rock Island, I'M
der the directions of Miss Marian
Clark, secretary, are being rapidly
perfected in such a manner as to
give no one living in Rock Island
excuse for not fulfilling the re-
turned soldiers ideas regarding
home folks and membership in the
Red Cross. These young women
are undertaking this canvass purely
as civic duty. They want to see
Rock Island show it's loyalty to the
Red Cross by maintaining its full
quota of memberships and they are
doing the citizens of the community
a service by calling on them for
their subscription.
That the people may know as
definitely as possible the future
plans of this National Humanitar-
ian society, Henry P. Dawson,
chairman of the war council of the
Red Cross, has issued from Wash
ington, ID. c., the following state
ment:
Since the armistice was signed,
have had an opportunity to con-
fer in Paris with the heads of all
American Red Cross commissions
in Europe, the latter in Washing
ton with the president of the Uni
ted States, the war council of the
Red Cross, the managers of the IA
Red Cross divisions of the United
States, and with the heads of our
departments at national headQuar-
ters. | am, therefore, able to speak
now with knowledge and assurance
in saying that the beneficient work
of the American Red Cross is to
go forward on a great scale-not
alone, as heretofore, for purposes
OF relief of war, but as an agency
OF peace and permanent human ser
vice
Since Americas entry into the
war, the purpose of our Red Cross
has been primarily to aid our army
and navy in the care of our own
men under arms, and, secondly, to
extend relief to the soldiers, sail
ors and civilians of those nations
which were fighting our battles
along with their own. With the
funds which have been so gener-
ously contributed by the American
people this war work of the Red
Cross will continue and be com
pleted with all possible sympathy
and energy. Wherever our SOL
diers and sailors may be, the Red
Cross will stay with them until
they are demobilized."