Evening star., 1923-09-25
FIELD ACTIVITIES
BEFORE REDCROSS
Convention Discusses Prob.
lens of Administration.
Work in Japan Reviewed.

Encouraged by President Coolidges
commentator of its purposes and, by
the gratitude OF stricken Japan as
| voiced by Ambassador Hanihara, the
more than 1000 delegates to the
annual convention of the American
Red Cross today turned their atten-
tion with renewed zeal to. problems
of administration and fieId work.
Plans for the annual roll call of the
organization on Thursday also oc-a
cupied an important place on today's
program.
Striking illustration of the prompt
ness with which the American Red
| Cross was able TO give magnitude
Organization and cooperation of all
| the units represented by the dele
gates attending the annual confer
ence was given by James L. Fieser,
vice chairman In charge OF domestic
operations. He summarized the won
derful growth and development of the
American Red Cross.
Thirty-six hours after the nrst
meager reports of the great Japanese
earthquake had reached the outside
world from lonely radio station in
northern Japan the American Red
, Cross was prepared to say: Mr..
| President, we are ready.
Chapter Preparedness Cited.
This prompt mobilization for. serv-
| ice was due to the preparedness of
! the 5000 Red Cross chapters in vari-
| Gus parts of the country, declared Mr..
Fieser.
He pointed out that only ten years
ago there were but fifty chapters and
1000 Red Cross members in the
| United States. Today there is
string of over 5000 chapters from
| one end of the country to the other. I,
Mr.. Fieser traced the history of
] Red Cross participation in domestic
| disasters, stating that increased eff
| cheney acquired through experience
| enabled the organization to render
| more and more prompt and ample re-
| lief
| More than 1000 counties in the
| forty-eight states are now employing
| Red Cross public health nurses. This
| service, Mr.. Fieser said. had grown
| to its huge proportions within the
1 last five years.
| 5000 Qualify as Nurses.
In one month alone more than
| 5000 American women and girls had
satisfactorily qualified In Red Cross
| courses in home hygiene and care OF
| the sick.
| This means that annually almost
| as many women as we have men In
4
| In Red Cross classes so that they
may successfully fight illness and
disease in their own homes" Mr..
| Fieser added.
In giving soul to the days work
In the American schools" the Junior
Red Cross. with its enrolment of
100000 children, is planting the
high ideals of service in countless
| thousands of young minds, stated Mr..
| Fieser.
Membership in the American Red
Cross is proving an increasingly val
liable investment, which will substi-
tute generosity for selfishness friend
illness for suspicion, service for COM
| munity and country. as opposed to
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT" concluded Mr.
! Fieser.
| Gratitude of Japan.
Americas open-handed sympathy in
Japan's sorest need will forever drive
from the Japanese mind all thoughts
of American aggressiveness in the
far east" Ambassador Hanihara said
in an address last night. : g1.
"1t will hencefoTth be difficult, in
ldeed," said the Japanese ambassador,
for professional jingoes to terrorize
an ignorant public opinion to the
point where it will countenance poll
cies of military ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. on
the ground of preparedness against
fancied American threats. The natu-
raj reaction of Japanese to mention
of America will be thrill of grati-
tude and warm friendliness." =
DR.. L. S. Rowe, director general Of
the Pan-American Union, said in his
travels in South America he had
found that everywhere the American
Red Cross typified the idealism and
the spirit of service of the people of
the United States, and was doing
more than any one influence to coun-
teract the tendency, so marked in
| many portions of the world, to regard
the American people as material and
self-seeking."
Work for Veterans.
John Barton Payne, chairman of
tor of the Wisconsin Psychiatric In
stitute; Director Hines of the Vet
erans' Bureau and Joe Sparks of the
rehabilitation committee of the
American Legion also addressed the
meeting last night.
Mr.. Payne spoke particularly of the
success of the organizations relief
| work In Japan. but the other speak
ers devoted large part of their time
to a discussion of the welfare of
Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, director
of the Veterans Bureau, speaking
yesterday afternoon, paid a tribute TO
the work the Red Cross Is doing to
re-establish the disabled service man
and his family in normal modes of
life.
1.-THE Mentally Incompetent Ex-
service Man" was discussed by DR.. w.
F. Lorenz, director of the Wisconsin
Psychiatric Institute.
(! Director Robert Z. Bondy of the
war service of the Red Cross cited
the work done by the organization
during the past year in helping to re-
Ihabilitate the disabled soldier at gov
eminent institutions More than s5.-
100000 has been spent by the Red
Cross in this work during the past