The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-06-22

can Red Cross today is different from
the American Red Cross of yesterday
Perhaps we should be thankful that
to a certain extent this is true, be-
cause nothing stands still success
fully. A thing either goes down or it
goes up; it goes back or it goes for
ward. The American Red Cross to-
day is in step with the times.
The American Red Cross is operat-
ing under a charter from Congress as
amended in 1905. This charter defines
the duties of the organization. The
first of these, as you know, is to pro-
vide volunteer relief to the army and
navy in time of war You know what
was done to meet that responsibility
Nor need l recite to you what is being
done in connection with the clause
which says The American Red Cross
Shall Act as a Medium of Communica-
ton Between the People of the United
States Of America and Their Army
and Navy. You know how that clause
was and is interpreted. 1t means per-
sonal service to the man. The AM
erican Red Cross is meeting It's re-
sponsibility by serving, especially in
military and naval hospitals. There
are thirty one military and naval sta
lions in the Pacific Division alone, in
which the National Organization is
maintaining representatives who help
to keep men in these stations in COM
munication with their homes.
TIL, cd did not
stop when the men left the army and
navy after the war. 1t did not inter-
pref the clause in a narrow sense and
say "Now that you are out Of the ar
my and navy, we have no responsible
ity for you" It said "The man going
out Of the army or navy requires the
full service of the Red Cross until he
is restored to civil life" So the Am
erican Red Cross, throughout the
length and breadth or this country,
through its chapters and through the
National organization, is serving dis
abled ex-service men in hospitals and
in their home communities.
The National Organization, as agent
for the Chapters, is spending the year
in supplementing the work OF the
United States government more than
three million dollars in behalf Of dis
abled ex-service men. Probably seven
million. dollars will be expended by
the Chapters for this service. This
will mean about ten million dollars.
The receipts from membership fees In
the entire country last year were
about five million dollars. When the
surplus which was raised specifically
for this purpose Is gone, perhaps the
obligation will have been met Until
that time we hope there will be no
lessening of the support which has
been given in this work.
The charter of the Red Cross fur
Their provides that The American Red
Cross shall continue and carry on a
system of national and international
relief in time of peace and apply the
same in mitigating the sufferings
caused by pestilence, famine, fire,
floods and other great national cal
antilles. l need not tell you what the
organization has done in great disas-
tiers about which you all know-as far
back as 1906 in the San Francisco
Fire and Earthquake, the Dayton
flood, Galveston disaster, Corpus
Christi, Pueblo. There were more
than fifty disasters last year in which
the National Organization Of the Red
Cross served and spent more than a
million dollars The budget for the
coming year for this purpose is $780,
900, from national funds. Can we as
sumo that when it cost more than ST.
100000 last year, it will cost less this
year?
Again, may I say, the American
Red Cross is operating under char
ter from Congress. 1t is not an or
ganization located in Washington; its
controlling body is in Washington, to
be sure, in the same sense that cong
ress is in Washington. The represen-
tatiye committee is in Washington,
but the American Red Cross is in ev-
cry local community of the United
States. The American people make
the American Red Cross and will con-
tinue to make it an organization
which truly represents the American
people. Now it is said Of the Ameri-
can Red Cross and was said during
the war that the greatest contribution
the organization has to make which is
made by no other existing organiza-
ton under the sun, is in the fact that
it serves without regard to race,
creed or color, and not only that, but |
it's members and those who serve are
made up Of people without regard to
race, creed or color. To the extent
that it continues to be cross section
Of American life in every community,
the American Red Cross will contin-
ue to be truly an organization Of Am
erican people organized for action
and service. If the American Red
Cross becomes internationally, ma
tionally, or in any local community
small group representing any one
faction, then it might better cease. !,
The Chapter executive committee
must be representative Of various IN
forootc in fts tprritOry