New-York tribune., 1922-11-25
Future OF the Red Cross

rUtuYe or tie NGd OYOss
When the American Red Cross
put twenty-aine women nurses on
the transports Grant, Sheridan ard
Sherman for the Philippine cam
paigns it gave women nurses their
drst full official status in the
service of the United States. Since
then, Of course, it has made it's tre-
fncndous contribution in the World
War. Where is its higher policy
tending new?
The question comes Up ss the an
nual roll call is bringing freshened
interest in this grest institution. Ii
has also cone up in the Red Cross
itself, and it is seegningly being
thought out in q way which the
public opinion Of the country vii!
approve.
In the fret place, progress has
been made, 30 in ali difficult solu~
rions, by going bacl; to first prin-
ciples. II has been realized anew
that the Red Cross is founded upon
Hhe idea of emergency relief. II we
add TO this les traditional ideas OF
volunteer service and Of measured
prevention Of the need FOR ener-
gency relief we have in tho clear
the Fundamentally upon which its four
major postwar activities are being
conducted.
These four activities are care Of
ehe d.ash'ed ex-service men, exteu-
sion c2 public health nursing, dis
astsr relief and Junior Red Cross
at home and abroad.
The care Of the disabled service
men ia merely the final carrying
through of the greatest fob Of emer-
geacy relief ever given the RED
Crosa-that OF the late war. This
work should eventually lose It's ener-
gency character when the veterans
bureau Is able TO take most of it
over for permanent handling by the
government. The Old Red Crosa
work Of establishing public health
nurses in rural communities unti,
<he communities themselves take
them over is apparently approach
ing stabilization point. 1t is wist
preventive work. The disaster re-
Lief, extending this year to seventy.
rhree major undertakings. la pecu
Iiarly the Red Cross field. And The
Junior Red Cross, in It's objective Of
better international understanding
is assurediy preventive in character
How, then, to preserve the pre-
Sentive and emergency character o:
the Red Cross without undertakins
Largo overhead expense and withou'
Il losing the great vitality of the volun
~ teer forces developed by the war,
Hero is the problem.
The road To the answer Mis-,
Mabel 7. Boardman pointed out /,
her address in New York on Tues
Gay. With the fundamental policie
made more definite by the work @
Judge Payne and the central com
anittee during the last year, the solu
tion of the other half OF the cues
sion lies in the better training ant
organizing Of the volunteer workers
Many sincere Red Cross workers sc,
IN whst Judge Payne calls the post
war defeating" OF the Red Cross /.
danger that the society may sini
back into its pre-war existence a.
merely a cadre OF officials and {
few supplies, They fear tbs loss o,
that magnificent vitality which il
Sound in the unpaid and freely giver
effort Of women the country over.
10 seems TO us that the opposition
between the two ideas Is more ap
pareut than real. The Red Cross hal
IN its home and foreign emergency
work field clear enough and bis
enough for great continuing en-
desvor. It should not, on the ons
hands attempt 10 make itself q sort
n2 national united charities" witt
"a heavy overhead and an unsvoid
abie duplication of existing socia
agencies. But 1t should not, on che
other hand, repel or disuse the un.
doubted asset that lies In iss present
stgre Of volunteer workers.
Miss Boardrnan reported that the
special committee on volunteer sery,
sce had set down eonse evident out.
lets for this effort administrative
ss'ork FOR the chapters, production OF
hospital and refugee supplies this
first bandages, clothing and blankets
that went from America 10 Smyrna
sFere Red Cross, clerical service,
tAnteens, motor corps, home seryica
Ind nurses' nids. These varieties
OF service Miss Boardnaan believes
ehouid be organized into siost but
regu'ar mriods Of volunteer train