Evening star., 1925-11-14
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL J.. COLLINS.

Some one has defined the Red Cross
| as the great plus sign Of civiliza
ton" Sometimes II seems that it is
| more than addition it is multiplied
ton" judging from the multifarious
| purposes 1t serves.
From Armistice day to Thanksgiv-
| ing day, all over the country, there is
a drive to enroll every ed-blooded
American as a member of the Ameri-
can Red Cross Society. 1t is not so
much a drive for money as it is Tor
members. for the very soul of the So
ciety is its democracy.
1t might induce millionaires and
great employers of labor TO contribute
| large sums to it's budget, but perhaps
| in future years the great contribu-
tions might be given to other causes,
and, without the continuing member
| ship, the Red Cross cause would suf-
| fer. 1t might ask for congressional
| appropriations, as a great national
! accident insurance, but such apprU.
/ priations might involve political in
! fuences. If the millions Of dollars
| tended to make soft" the muscles of
| the organization and weaken the
stress for renewal of membership it
would be the policy of the society to
| reject the dollars and stimulate the
enrolment Of members.
There is an endowment fund of
| $685., 1906, which stabilizes the
| work, but the soCiety's chief asset is
its 3,103,S70 members. 1t is the largest
! adult organization in America, if not
| in the world, yet it represents less
than per cent Sf the population of
continental United States.
In addition to the adult organiZa-
ton, there is Junior Red Cross
Society, with a finer showing than
| that of their seniors. In continental
/ United States it has a membership
| of 1851, ,576-lS.5 per cent of all
school enrolment and in our insular
possessions there are ! ,1S7, ,072 juniors
l-SS.2 per cent of total school en-
roHment. The total Junior Red
Cross number 5.73S.64S boys and girls.
What a fine example do the boys and
girls give older folks. especially the
| children of our islands.
But now that the war is over
| why should Americans continue TO
support the war organization? Will
| it not help the militarists? Have
we not a paCifist oath in which Ger
| tain men and women who do not
believe in war swear never to assist
a soldier directly nor indirectly. lest
! he be encouraged to offer his life
4
Red Cross in these piping times of
! peace. What good can it do between
wars?"
| ); IL x !.
| The Bible tells us that the wind
| bloweth where 1t listeth. Last Spring
! a hurricane blew across several
| Western States and within a few
minutes it wiped out cities and vii
lagos, killing 796 victims and injuring
| 2,239 others, leaving hundreds of
thousands homeless, foodless and
| lacking clothes and shelter. 1t dew
! astated nearly as great an area as
| the Huns devastated in France and
| Belgium.
When the news of that hurricane
| came over the wires there was the
| Red Cross Society, with it's hundreds
of chapters in the immediate neigh
borhood of the winds wreckage. 1t
was already organized; it already
had it's depots of supplies planted
in ever part of the country close to
the storm area, as well as in more
distant regions; it already had its
bank balances available for instant
use. Thus it saved lives and
ameliorated suffering; it took care Of
33,435 sufferers. The storm had
killed and wounded more than many
a battle on which hung the fate of
nations.
Within IL hours after the earth
/ quake wrought havoc in Santa Bar
bara, Calf, the Red Cross had a
| fully organized relief system func-
| tioning.
! Last year it was efficient to meet
crises in 20 great fires, Is floods, {
| typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes,
3 famines, 3 mine disasters, vol
| canic eruptions, a typhoid epidemic
and 2 accidental 'entombments."
There is never a day which has not
its call for emergency relief such as
could not be handled without organi-
zation.
| X * n
The york Of the National American
Red Cross is affiliated with similar