The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-17
RED CROSS NOTES

Following are extracts from letters
from the New England Division
| Headquarters:
Dec. 81, 1918
"To all Organizations:
Demobilization has been so rapid
and our workers have put such ire
mendous enthusiasm in the produc-
ton of knitted garments, that we
feel we have now sufficient supply
of these articles with which we will
be able to care fer the demands of
the Army and Navy IN New England.
National Headquarters has calculated
the requirements OF knitted articles
needed during denobilization and be-
lieves they have a sufficient stock on
hand. Therefore we feel it would be
wise for you to suspend knitting as
one of your regular production actl-
! vities until the present stocks are
depleted" !"
| 1t is greatly desired to complete
| and send all knitted work already be-
gun.
"The New England Division of the
American Red Cross is today facing
the most serious crisis since it came
into existence as war relief agency.
The women of New England have al
ways responded with extraordinary
/ enthusiasm to every call put upon
them and New England has never
failed yet to accomplish all and more
than has been asked of it.
| Today Northern France and Belgi-
um, freed from the invader, lie abso-
lutely PROSTATE. A million and one
half refugees have returned or are
returning to the places that were
their homes. Hundreds of villages
and over 20 large cities have been
absolutely destroyed. These people
are living under the most terrible
conditions and these conditions are
such that considerable length of
time must elapse before they are bet
tered. In the meantime the weather
is cold, and the refugees are wearing
such clothes as their recent captors
have allowed them to retain. In OF
der to relieve these conditions the
Red Cross undertook, starting last
fall, a very large program of garment
making. With the signing of the
'Armistice, conditions abroad become
increasingly worse, as the number OF
homeless refugees increased rather
than decreased. There are no stores
in which they can buy clothes, they
have no homes in which to make
clothes and no facilities for making
them if the materials were available
The only thing that stands between
these people and suffering or death
from lack of necessities. of living is
the American Red Cross. The Com
mission for Relief in Belgium is un-
dertaking the feeding of these people
but the clothing so sorely needed
must be quickly made by the Rec
Gross in order to be available this
winter.
The New England Division as its
share of this work has been asked te
make about 100000 garments. Speec
in the completion of these garments
is absolutely essential if they are te
be of use this winter. The garments
are being shipped abroad as rapidly
as received at the Division Ware
house and cable requests from abroad
call for more and more. By March Isl
the bulk of these garments must BIZ
either in our Division Warehouse o.
on their way from Chapters. This i;
as important a Drive as amy we have
had so far and every effort must bt
put forth by Chapters and Branche:
to arouse their present and former
workers to the Importance of this sit
uation and to get in all new worker:
possible"
: Now since the quota for Caledonia
county is 1900, it is absolutely nee
essary that the number of helpers b.
| increased tremendously. Thre'
hundred at every regular meeting ant
little groups or societies and individ
uals working at home are imperative
, jly needed to get the work done il
season; and it is unthinkable that ST
/ Johnsbury should fail to do he
f part in this great drive.