Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-18

| United States had only unofficial "ob-
| servers American Minister to
Switzerland and Charles S. P. Bowles,
European agent of the United States
Sanitary Commission; these were au-
thorized by our. Secretary of State to
observe and report whatever might aid
humanity, but they had no part In
| the organizing of the work. We were
then hotly engaged in our Civil War,
and neither side was very humane"
| toward its enemies.
The Federal Army had a sanitary
| commission. for its own service, in
maintaining sanitation in camps.
| However, the reports and the photo
| graphs brought from that Geneva con-
ference by Observer Bowles aroused
! interest, and, while at Geneva the
treaty establishing the international
recognition of the Red Cross Society
was signed only by IL countries
Baden, Belgium, Denmark Holland,
Spain, Portugal. France, Prussia, Sax
ony, Wurttemberg and Switzerland-out
of it has now developed lin 1920) a
world League of Red Cross Societies,
comprising So nations-all the civilized
nations of the world. None of these
national organizations has ever equaled
that of the United States in aid to
| foreign nations in disaster, nor has
any, so efficiently net the crises in
their own country. yet there are ma
lions with larger membership, ir
proportion to population, than that C
our own organization.
y 4 X
During the World War the American
Red Cross representatives we're in every
camp at the front, and in home train
ing camps. The public contributed
literally for soldier relief, to be ad-
ministered by the Red Cross, and, in
the years Immediately following the
war, aid for disabled soldiers and their
dependents continued through the Red
Cross at rate of from $8.0000 900 to
$12,000000 year. 1t is not generally
known that the Red Cross is still so
active in soldier and sailor aid that
! it expends more than $3,400,00 year
now for the benefit of disabled vet
Grams of the war, together with the
men of the present Army and Navy.
Beyond the monetary aid, it does wha'
officialdom cannot dot brings to tn
bedside of the disabled soldiers the cor,-
forting visits of thousands of Gold Stai
Mothers and others. who are still SYM
pathetic toward those who fought besid'
their own soldiers and sailors Sucll
kindly work cannot be performed by tn;
sistent love by the members of Rec
Cross chapters all over the country
1t is noteworthy that while the totai
membership fees from the 450o,00G
members are only 81 each (aSiie from
the special memberships the annual
sum devoted to the aid of soldiers and
sailors in the Regular Army and Navy
and to World War veterans and thcis
dependents amounts to three-quarters of
that total. During the World War TIL.
public gave the Red Cross S400 900 0Ge
for the benefit of soldiers and sailors
and marines: at the close of the war.
there was a considerable balance OPS
hand, and out of this balance a sum
enough to make up permanent emer-
gency fund of S5,000,000 was set aside
invested in Government securities, Sc.
that the interest thereof is always ava:l-e
able for use in immediate relief whan
disaster comes. No delay is required
therefore, while the public is being app
pealed to for funds for relief in emer.
gencies. Relief comes promptly when
great disaster requires extraordinar,
funds. BY act of Congress all Arm
Supplies-tents. food and medical--ai
available for disaster relief, upon call &C
the Red Cross.
x !; :. x
The greatest disaster in the history
the American Red Cross was the recen
Mississippi River flood, when an area of
$4,000 square miles was submerged
That required an expenditure of Sl7,-
100000 and it illustrated the vast i'm
provement in methods of relief over
those possible in former days. For ex-
ample, aviation, supplied by the Gov
eminent forces, made possible the rescue
of men and women clinging to roofs or
treetops, beyond the hope of saving by
any old-time means. In all that flood
only 1926 people were drowned. and of
these only 6 after the Red Cross had
reached the situation with its airplane
scouts and its 1000 rescue boats.
The danger Of disease in the Missia-
sippi flood was almost equal to what to-
day confronts the Red Cross in Porto
Rico and Florida. Typhoid vaccine was
then administered to 436000 people;
now, If reports are not exaggerated. Il
will be needed for twice that many. Two
tons of quinine were required for IS
100000 gram treatments. The trop;c
hurricane leaves a call for four or five
tons.
Nurses will be needed by the hur-
dreds; the Red Cross has a membership
of $4,000 trained nurses pledged to re-
spond instantly to its call. 1t can mobi-
lie them at the rate of 10000 witflin
the first day of call and 1000 more per
dav as needed
But that is an inadequate measure Of
possibilities to this organization. Dur
ing the war there were $4,000. 600
Americans who Joined the Red Cross
because they believed In its efficiency
and faithfulness. Now the peace times
have let the membership drop to 4. 500
600, but between Armistice day and Mo-
vember "a grand drive is to be mads
to go over the top with a 5000. 900 mem
bership and make 1t very popular to be
seen wearing the little red-cross butt
ton or shameful to be without that
token OF cooperation with humanity in
distress.
fcopyriGht. 1923. By Paul v. Collinsl