The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-06-22
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TODAY

and the American people for prevent
ing those things that result from war
perhaps we are in a measure respon
sible for preventing war, because that
is the only way we can, prevent the
results of war. The Red Cross is not
starting out on a peace at any price"
program. 1t is starting out in pro-
gram of education in international
good will. In this it does not start
with the adult but with the child, ana
the children, through the Junior Red
Cross in all parts of the United
States today, instead of thinking only
of themselves, their family, or their
school, are thinking in terms Of chill
dren everywhere. In connection with
this, there is the National Children's
Fund, by which the children support
projects in foreign countries, where
| the children have not the facilities for
recreation, play grounds, etc. Aside
from that an actual contribution in
service, the children in this country
are corresponding, writing letters to
the children Of other countries, all
the way from France to Albania,
Montenegro, Czecko Slovakia. The
children find they have things in COM
mon and the things they have in COM
mon by far outweigh the things they
have in difference. These children in
very few years are going to control
the destinies of the United States and
the countries Of the world. The Jun
ior Red Cross stands back of this in
ternational work, in the interest Of
international good will which must
be developed.
You have right to know, in this
broad sketchy sort of way, what
the National organization is doing to
meet it's responsibilities. The Ameri-
can Red Cross nationally can only be
what it's chapters make it. The chap
tiers can only be what the American
people in a local community make
them. The American Red Cross is
founded on the expression Of democ-
racy which depends upon member
ship of the individual. We should for
get the idea that it is only the dollar
we want; we are much more inter |
ested, as a matter of fact, in that
consciousness of belonging to the
American Red Cross, that sense Of |
proprietorship, that every American |
citizen has the right to have. No Am |
erican citizen, when the Roll Call Is |
over, should be able to say that he |
had no opportunity to join the Red |
Cross. Let us not fail to get out with |
this message, and il the people know
why they should join the Red Cross,
they will not refuse. know Of no in
dividual who has refused to join the |
Red Cross when he knew what 1t was
doing and why.
That consciousness Of belonging, to |
which I refer, is always typified In
my mind, by the ex-service man who
was lying in lonely cabin. One day
Red Cross worker found him and
said as there anything 1 can do for
your" He said "No, there is nothing
you can do for me. shall probably
die. Yes-there is just one thing. On
my coat you will find Red Cross
button Will you bring it to me?
The Red Cross worker took the but
ton to him, pinned it on his pajama
coat. The man said, 81 belong to that
that is my lodge"
Every American citizen has the
right to feel that he belongs to that
lodge, that brotherhood of man which
eliminates no one. Everyone can be-
long, without regard to his religion,
his color or his race. That is the Am I
erican Red Cross of TODAY