The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-11-17
THE RED CROSS CARRIES ON.

w 7 lat is the Red Cross doing, now that it's
w war work is through? is question often
asked. Well, in the first place, it's war
work is not through. During its last fiscal yea
IT spent fifty million dollars in closing up >ant
consolidating its relief work in Europe, so far as
that was possible Yet it has continued it's over.
seas activities in Poland, Serbia, Vienna Constan-
tinope, and several other countries or cities Just
as an example of what the relief work has been
1t may be stated that on closing the Red Cross
relief work in France and Belgium supplies were
furnished to nearly four thousand villages and
over three million people were benefited by gifts
or sales Of material, while hundreds of co-opera-
tive stores started by the Red Cross are still be-
ing operated by the French and Belgians
Since last January the amount of relief work
done in help ping urdernourished children in cloth
ing needy people by the scores of thousands. and
in furnishing medical treatment, care and food
to refugees has been continued, and on a very
large scale. 1t must always be remembered too
that one of the foundations of Red Cross relief
work is to encourage and make possible local
self-help. This, like everything else the Red
Cross does, is primarily educational
On November II begins the annual Roll-Call of
the Red Cross. This is not, as some people sup
pose, an outgroWth of the war. The Roll-Call
was an established institution before the war 1t
, IS primarily for the continuance and increase of
membership. Naturally, the time is suitable for
a roundup of Red Cross activities. A National
Red Cross Convention is held in Washington and
new plans made for pushing the different
forms of human service.
The reports made in this connection are de-
cidedly interesting. There has been a call for
service in no less than seventy-three disasters in
hyc
earthquakes, fires, floods, shipwrecks, and other
forms of distress included. The largest dis
aster of the year recorded was at Corpus Christi,
Texas, when four hundred people were killed and
four thousand made homeless. When the explo-
sion in Wall Street occurred, the Red Cross did
astonishingly quick work in getting to the spot
Always in of disaster the Red Cross is pre-
pared with material, money, and men and women
to bring quick and efficient relief.
One of the chief lines of extension of Red
Cross work in time of peace has been its Health
Service at this time over thirty-six thousand
nurses the Red Cross rolls. The educa-
ton of the people as to health and as to what
should be done in preserving and restoring health
conditions is invaluable and is continually ncreas-
ing.
One of the most active and enthusiastic of Red
Cross officials in letter to the Outlook sums up
the answer to the questions asked above by say
ing:
"The peace programme of the Red Cross for
it's own country is to do for America exactly the
sort of work in public health that we have done
for the people of Europe. We must recognize
that we have our own backwoods, our own native
population in inaccessible districts, who need
education in hygiene as much as any of the wo-