The Carlisle independent., 1919-04-17

pie, now that hostilities have ceased. the French themselves naturally pre- fer as far as possible to provide for their own It has accordingly been de termined that the guiding principle of Red Cross policy in France henceforth shall be to have punctilious regard to its every responsibility, but to direct It's efforts primarily to assisting French relief societies. The liberated and devastated regions of France have been divided by the government into small districts. each officially assigned to designated French relief o-gani- Zation
 The American Red Cross work in France was initiated ny commission of eighteen men who landed on French shores June 13, 1917. Since then some 5000 persons have been upon the rolls in France, of whom 1000 were actively engaged when the armistice was signed. An indication of the pres ent scale of the work will be obtained from the fact that the services of 6,OOO persons are still required.
 Our American Expeditionary Force having largely evacuated England, the activities of the Red Cross Commits sion there are naturally upon dimin- ishing scale period Active operations are still in progress in Archangel and Siberia.
 "The work in Italy has been almost entirely on behalf of the civilian pop ulation of that country In the critical hours of-Italy's struggle the American people, through their Red Cross. sent 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 eoncentra- tion of effort in Italy, England, Bel gium and even in France having natur- ally and normally diminished, it 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 to out side assistance, but whose sufferings have been upon an appalling scale The needs of these peoples are so vast that government alone can meet them, but the American Red Cross Is making an effort to relieve immediately the more acute distress.
 'An extensive group of American workers has been dispatched to carry vitally needed supplies, and to work this winter in the various Balkan coun- 4,.;n To fo kr fIo;x tivities, Balkan commission has been established. with headquarters at Rome, Italy. from which point alone all the Balkan ceuters can be reached promptly.
 "A commission has just reached Po- land with doctors and nurses medical. supplies, and food for sick children Commission has also been appointed to aid in relieving she suffering of Rus sian prisoners still confined in German prison camps.
 An important commission is still working in Palestine. Through the war special cooperation has been given to the Armenian and Syrian Re lief Commission, which was the only agency able to carry relief in the in- terior of Turkish dominions.
 Red Cross Will Continue.
 Red Cross effort is thus far flung. It will continue 10 be so. But the movement represented by this work has likewise assumed an intimate place in the daily life of our people at home. The army of workers which has been recruited and trained during the war must not be demo1ilized. All our ex- perienee in the war shows clearly tha; there Is an unlimited field for service of the kind which can be performed with peculiar effectiveness by the Red Cross. What it's future tasks may be 1t is yet imposslbls to forecast We know that so long as there Is an Amer can army in the field the Red Cross will have special ri;nction to perform.
 Nothing could he of greater impor- tance to the American He'd Cross than the plans just set in motion by the five great Red Cross societies of the world to develop program of extended ac- tivities in the interest of humanity. The conception involves not alone eff forts to relieve human suffering, but to prevent 1t; not alone a movement by the people of an individual nation, but an attempt to arouse all people to 8 sense of their responsibility for the welfare of their fellow beings through out the world. It Is a program both ideal and practical. Ideal In that it's supreme aim is nothing less than yer itable Peace on earth good will to men, and practical in that It seeks to take means and measures which are actually available and make them ef- fective in meeting without delay the crisis which is daily recurrent in the lives Of all peoples.
 For accomplishing it's mission in the years of peace which must lie ahead of us the Red Cross will require the ablest possible leadership, and must enjoy the continued support, sym pathy, and participation in it's work of the whole American people It Is