Evening star., 1939-10-01
Red Cross First-Aid Director
Louds Modern Youths Spirit
Two Major Aims
Of Division Cited
By EnIows
By JESSIE FANT EVANS,

II believe whole heartedly in our
modern youth. Give them q chal-
lenge and they will give you their
best. The successful program Of
service developed for them by the
American National Red Cross shows
their superlative willingr. ess to do
something for some one else"
Thus spoke Harold F. Elbows, di-
rector of First Aid, Life Saving and
Accident Prevention Service for the
American National Red Cross at his
Office in the Red Cross Administra-
ton Building. He made the state
ment just prior to the annual roll
call of the District Chapter of the
Red Cross, which began on Sep
tember % and will continue through
October 10.
In proof of this animation Mr..
Elbows pointed out that Of the more
than 2,000,0 900 persons to whom the
Red Cross has issued first aid certif-
icates, 100000 of them are held
by boys and girls above the age of
IL. Last year the service which he
has directed since July, 1923, issued
355 ITO first aid certificates through
out the United States, a total of co.
600 more than the year before. 1.-THE
award of these certificates" Mr.. En-
lows emphasized" is in recogni-
ton of the recipients ability to
give first aid to others in case of
emergency, and is made only on
demonstration of skill and ability
following rigid examination on the
part of instructors properly quail
fled to give instruction concerning
such aid"
Two Major Objectives.
"Our department of the Ameri-
can Red Cross" he said, has two
major objectives. These are to save
loss of life, and to prevent needless
Gripping and other physical disabil-
ity in case of accident. We depend
primarily on our educational poll
cies with the youth of America for
our results. In no sense must we
be looked on as q substitute for the
doctor or the nurse. We stress CALL
ing the doctor as soon as possible.
However, since 1t is the fine hu-
manitarian instinct of people to do
something in case of urgent need,
an impulse which should be en-
couraged, we of the Red Cross are
training the youth of the Nation
what not to do quite as much as we
are telling them what to do. And,
we are trying to make this instruc-
ton as free from mystery and tech
nicalities as Is possible"
First aid, according to Mr.. En-
lows, is continuing to grow In i'm
portance and is being more appreci-
ated by the public in general through
the cooperation of industries, city,
State and Federal authorities, schools,
colleges and youth organizations, as
they realize that training in first aid
is a means of accident prevention.
From July /, 1884. to July /. 1889.
the Red Cross issued 220.O48 first aid
certificates to Civilian Concentration
Camps enrollees alone
Although fatal accidents from all
other causes than automobile acci-
dents have decreased II per cent
during the past IS years. according
to Red Cross statistics, the mount
ing toll from automobile accidents
is an appalling one. Because of the
frequency with which such accidents
occur on rural highways where
medical assistance is often not i'm
mediately available. the Red Cross
stresses that proper first aid may
prevent death in certain instances
and materially lessen the likelihood
to disability.
Care Is Essential.
I'm the case of q broken leg or
fractured vertebrae," Mr. Enlows
said, sit is very essential that the
injured person should not be stood
up on his feet. or doubled up and
put in the back of a passing car.
Thereby. the fracture that was a
simple one in the beginning is often
made compound one with all Of
its difficult complications. Persons
suffering from shock should be kept
as warm as possible. and rolled up
in blankets to lessen the likelihood
to pneumonia. An open wound
should never be closed with tape
adhesive, as part of first aid meas
ures, for thereby there is tendency
to create germ incubator"
These and many other essential
first aid as well as water-saving
and accident preventive measures
are set forth in a series of three
textbooks issued by the American