The Washington times., 1937-05-12
UNAVOIDABLE
ACCIDENTS
SECUTED

The false idea that accidents
are unavoidable must be shattered
before the Home Accident Proven
ton Campaign can be called truly
successful, Mrs. Clarence w. Mes
singer Of Houghton county, Mich
igan, told delegates at today's ses-
sion Of the American Red Cross
national convention.
The problem must be attacked
from the standpoints of adult and
parent education, and instruction
OF the child, she said, continuing:
"Of the two, adult education
is the most discOuraging. Parents
are apt to dismiss the subject
by telling us that we must ex-
pect accidents when we have
children, or they will inform us
that 1t is useless to preach safety
to them, for they forget immedi-
ately. Some even feel that mis-
hapS are an essential part Of the
business of growing up.
"All this may be true, but the
very definition Of the word 'ac-
cident' refutes these statements.
The dictionary says AN accident
is something that could have
been avoided"
Early Training Stressed
Mrs. Messenger emphasized the
Importance of educating children
to practice safety at an early age,
comparing the brain and nerves
with plaster of paris, which can
be nodded easily when freshly
made, as can the youthful brain
. and nerves, and cannot be changed
after it has set.
Richard w. Thrush, assistant
director of the Red Cross First
Aid and Life Saving Service, de-
scribed the society's newest serv-
ice-Mobile Emergency First Aid.
This consists of groups such as
State highway police, public util-
tty workmen and highway main
tenance crews, who have taken
voluntary Red Cross courses and
now travel the highways equipped
with first-aid kits, giving services
at the scene of traffic accidents.
He explained:
"The new service has already
entered into agreements with
10 organizations which have
total Of 651 mobile units desig-
mated by the Red Cross emblem.
Truly the Red Cross is upon
the highways, but the need is
great, and we must keep in
p mind that we have only begun.
OTHER SPEAKERS .
Other speakers were DR.. Cassius
H. Watson, president of the Ma
tional Safety Council and medical
director Of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company,
whose topic was "First-Aid as a
Vital Part of Accident Proven
tom; Carroll Bryant, technical
adviser, Life Saving Service, who
discussed water Safety" and DR..
A. D. Lazenby, whose topic was
Life Saving and FirSt-Aid as an
Aid to Chapter Development"
Lammont du Pont, jr., chairman
of the executive committee, Della
ware Chapter, was the presiding
officer.
A testimonial dinner for Miss
T. Boardman, secretary of the
Red Cross, was given last night
at the Willard Hotel. Admiral
Cary T. GraySon was POSTMASTER.
Addresses were made by r. Wal
ton Moore, Assistant Secretary of
State; Colin Herrle, assistant di-
rector, Disaster Relief Service;
Mrs. August Belmont, member of
the central committee, American
Red Cross; Vicompte Bonabes de
Rouge, secretary general. League
of Red Cross Societies, and Miss
Betty Ward, who rendered greet
ings from the Junior Red Cross.
The invocation was given by
Rev. Arthur j. OLeary, S. j.,
president Of Georgetown Univer-
Sity. Music was furnished by the
United States Navy Band Orches-
ira, under the direction of Alex
ander Morris.