The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-11-05
Red cross Work At Homo:

Il
America calls to the Red Cross for
service.
1t spent thirty billion dollars in the
world fight for Democracy.
That was an average of $4,000 per
capita from our entire population.
The United States owes twenty-eight
billion dollars as a war debt u
That is an average of $4,000 per
capita for our entries population.
The average American community
spent last year about $500 per capita
for education and about $3.50 per
capita for fire and police protection
AS anation we spent last year $1,000
per capita for candy, so cents per
capita for chewing gum, s215.00 per
capita for tobacco, Is cents per capita
for perfumery, 81
Last year the American nation spent
less than % cents per capita protect
ing and developing the health OF the
country.
And yet
Last year 1,25OOOO American people
died or sickness.
Seven hundred and fifty thousand Of
them died of preventable disease.
Tive hundred thousand adults died
last year from tuberculosis.
tuberculosis is neither hereditary
nor necessary, but is a disease of de-
fectfve civilization.
Last year 100000 American babies
died before they were one year old
One hundred and fifty thousand Of
them did not live month
This slaughter of the innocents was
largely the result of ignorance, indifs
ference and economic inhumanity.
The records of the. war show that
our civilian population is blighted with
Venerealf Disease.
The Public Health Service indicates
that one-tenth of our American life is
thus contaminated
The American Red Cross does not
claim responsibility to analyze and
solve these great questions OF Public
Health. 9 1ss.
It only recognizes that under its
Charter it is compelled to devise and
carry on measures for mitigating the
suffering incident to pestilence and
disaster ~
It seeks, therefore, merely to aid
existing agencies, to cooperate with
organized effort, and to place its or
ganization and its workers alike at the
disposal and the service of the COM
munity
In fartherance of such a program
the Community Public Health Nurse
is destined to play an important part.
One thousand of these most Of
them returned army nurses-have pre-
pared themselves for this new cru.
sade for higher standards of physical
life and the expansion of our national
strength and vigor.
Fhe Roll Call contemplates practical
demonstration and instruction in Do
mestic Sanitation, Community Hygiene,
Dietetics and Child Welfare
The establishment of Public Health
Center is. as most important feature
of this work for a better America.
This will be exactly what its name
signifies bringing to a definite place
in each community combination of
all the agencies that may promote
health, in order to maintain a high
standard of physical manhood and
womanhood in our country.
A distinct line of usefulness will be
the formation of classes in First Aid,
teaching people how to meet the emer.
gency of accidents and to make pos
sib1e the saving of life.
The continuation, enlargement and
coordination of the Junior Red Cross
as related to our American public
schools is an item SO vast as to be
incalcu1able.
The whole fabric, not only of our
American democracy but of the fu-
ture civilization Of the world, rests
upon the child and the school.
The ideal out of which the Junior
Red Cross springs is that OF. Service
-self-sacriicfng service for others.
Fifteen million American children,
trained in the philosophy of unselfish-
ness, schooled to life of service,
vowed to the furtherance of interna-
tional understanding and good will, can
save the world.
Finally, the American Red Cross
must broaden and make more perm
anent its preparedness for the Dis
aster Relief that has been so great a
part of its history
Tempest and food; earthquakes and
fire; accident and calamity
of these fall into the machinery of life
throughout the world, the American
Red Cross holds itself ready to go and
Oninister in the name of humanity and
mercy.
There is still room for the Red
Cross.