The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-11-25
The Fourth Roll Call is not a cam
paign


paign.
1t is merely the yearly opportunity
for American men and women to pay
their annual dues and renew their
membership in their Red Cross.
This Roll Call finds the Red Cross
as much at any time since it en-
tered the great war, in the midst OF
tremendous concerns.
The world is so full of uncertainty
that which is called modern civiliza-
ton is so utterly upset-that no sooner
is one duty ended than another looms
as large.
The present program of the Amer
lean Red Cross is vastly important and
fundamentally essential
It's primary obligation was to the
service men of the Army and Navy.
OF that obligation these things still
remain:
First, To stay with the Army OF DC.
cupation, comprising about 1000 Of
icers and men, and serve as their Red
Cross.
Second, To continue in the hospitals
Of the Army, the Navy and the Public
Health Service where there are more
than $4,000 men, many of whom will he
retained there for months and some Cf
them for years and carry on their rec
reational and social work
Third, To keep in touch as an adj
Tisory organization with the dis
charged men Of the Army and Navy,
and be ready-Eot in the way Of
financial aid, but what is worth Var
more-to contribute kind advice and
friendly assistance.
Fourth, To continue the work that
has been going on in connection with
the families of soldiers and sailors,
and as growing out of this a similar
work for the community at large.
The fact that the men have returned
does not by any means eliminate do
nestle problems. In many cases it
only intensifes them. This is partic-
ularly true in the case of more than
125,000 families whose men are in the
number of the dead, where there rs
wealth of service that the Red Cross
can still render.
Fifth, While the Government itself
is carrying on vocational training for
manned and crippled men, it has turn
ed over to the Red Cross the. care OF
those who have been blinded in the
crash of war. No more sacred serv.
ice can be imagined than this.
Work in Europe:
So far as the world at large is con-
cerned the American Red Cross must
still stand by to the limit Of its pos.
sibility and the measure of its ability.
On the Western Front its work is now
over Belgium, France and Italy are
slowly but surely making progress,
with their feet firmly set upon paths
of reconstruction.
The Eastern Belt of Horror still re-
mains-not only menace to civiliza-
ton, but challenge to the Red Cross.
The enormity of its want is stag
gering
The entire fabric of civilization is
tottering into ruin.
Pestilence and famine are stalking
in the midst of calamity.
The Red Cross cannot carry the bur-
den that only Western Civilization
united can bear. 1t cannot feed Po-
land, the Baltic States, Czechoslovakia
and the Balkans. 1t cannot clothe and
shelter hundreds Of millions of people,
were it so inclined.
No voluntary organization can any
longer face task of such dimensions
But to the best of it's ability the
American Red Cross can do what it
did during the months before Amer
ica's armies came to take their part
in the great conflict.
1t can, by it's very presence, give
promise of assistance.
1t can carry on at least hopeful
fight against pestilence and epidemic.
1t can minister to the extreme Of
emergency.
1t can try to protect and care for the
children who are the one hope for the
future.
More than this, in the present condi-
ton of it's funds and it's personnel, it
dare not undertake.
Far more than this it is willing to
undertake, if the American people
choose again to make it the repository
of their confidence and to contribute
for the relief Of suffering millions of
fellow men.
What the American Red Cross does
for Europe depends upon what the
American people ask it to do.
1t knows how The experience of
the past is Invaluable. The American
Red Cross is ready. 1t is up to the
American people to decide.