The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-11-06
IN WAR A

al tHt H.iuSl ol the SlTlle anu CINtnOT
of the present, the American Red
Cross remains as one of the enduring
expressions of the high aspirations
reused by the great war. Too few Of
these aspirations, which welded len
and nations together in the glow of
great enthusiasts, have survived the
~onslaughts of bitter ~partisa"ship and
selfish struggles. The text few days
will determine whether the great war.
time Red Cross organization can
transfer its functions to the problems
of peace. or will be relegated to OBJ
security until war calls it OFT again.
No men and no orgt hltiun came
through the wa, and still more
through the peace that followed. un-
scathed by criticism. Presidents,
premiers, generals, armies, cabinets,
parliaments. relief organizations have
all been assailed. 1t is human nature.
and especially American nature, to
damn its own creations. Even the
Red Cross has NJ. escaped; but the
Red Cross, though admitting errors
committed in the midst of a mighty
conflict when speed had to be secured
at all costs, rests its case on its actual
accomplishments in the war. That the
American Red Cross achieved a bril-
liant record is attested, among others
by General Pershing and Field Mar
shall Foch, two leaders who were in a
position to know and who measure
their words.
Now the Red Cross is launching 4
peace program whose chief motives
will be to relieve sufferers in the dis
aSters which inevitably overtake civ
ilized communities. and to combat dis.
ease and the national ineficiency that
result from it. tuberculosis. to name
but one, is u great blight upon Ameri-
cas- physical vigor. Public health
nursing. child welfare work. domestic
sanitation are Il part Of this far-reacn-
ing work.
Then there remains n vast amount
Of work to do for discharged soldiers.
The United States employment service.
when il went out Of commission for
lack of appropriations, turned its job
over to the Red Cross. Thousands %
wounded soldiers remain in our hos.
pitfalls. Thousands Of mutIlated SOL
diers must be trained for special Jobs.
There is much relief work to be done
in rehabilitation and border camps.
Caring for the families of men still IL,
the service, untangling the snarls Of
the wal risk insurance bureau, com
pensation claims, conversion OF gov
eminent insurance, securing back pay,
travelling allowances. and bonuses for
soldiers are only u few of the many
activities of the Red Cross.
This work needs money. 1t needs
money hot only for relief work on an
immense scale. but it needs money to
pay the s~aleries of trained workers.
Any business man knows hat no bus.-
ness a be effectively run by voluE.
teer workers and although the Red
Cross contains many volunteer work
ers who have made great sacrifice
and accompllshes much, it needs to
retain the trained staff that went
through the severe discipline of wal
If America wants to retain "A reg
ular organization to perform and cx.
tend the great work of military ana
civilian relief, it will he well for all
citizens to consider whether they can
not afford to invest more than IA
heart and a dollar" in this national
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Journal.