Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-02-19

Things l Never
Knew Til NolU
(AbOut the Red Crosse

CernDer ~ AN earthquake
devastated an area of fifty square
miles, taking toll of more than
$4,000 lives. (The city of Yoko-
hama was totally destroyed by fire,
as was most of Tokyo.) . Presi-
dent Coolidge promptly called on the
American people to come to Japan's
aid with five million dollars. The
citizens of this country trampled
over each other rushing to help the
Japs, and the sum was subscribed
in a mere ten days. But America
didn't stop there-the dollars kept
pouring in until the Red Cross had
almost twelve million dollars for
Japan, when that nation needed a
friend This, however, is the
bitter irony: The Japs were so cap
preciative" that they set aside three
million dollars of the American Red
Cross relief funds to build a "Me-
mortal Fraternity Hospital" in the
earthquake area-as a permanent
testimonial of Japan's gratitude to
the United States!
Red Cross nurses attached to the
u. S. Army are officers with the
rank of second lieutenant. (And pri-
Yates are strictly prohibited by
Army regulations from trying to
date them or make passes at them.)
In the Navy, the nurses are
ensigns The Army requires
it's Red Cross nurses to carry he'll
NETS and gas masks just like the
soldiers, and no wonder. In the last
war, 296 American nurses lost their
lives in the service of their country.
Contributors to the Red Cross
have the best guarantee in the
world that there won't be any hokus
pokus with the funds, because it's
books are audited annually by the
War Department and reported to
Congress The Red Cross OPP
Grating expenses are the lowest of
any organization in the country
less than four per cent of the money
collected (You can check it in any
public library in the Congressional
Record.)
The women who are members of
the Red Cross motor corps must
furnish their own automobiles and
gasoline, as we'll as foot their own
parking bills. During the current
emergency, they're required to
serve one shift of eight hours each
week and be on call twenty-four
hours day The girls take a
six-week training course, and one
thing they're taught is how to repair
a car themselves.
Airedale terriers play an impor-
tant part in the work of the Red
Cross in wartime. The dogs are
sent out on the battlefelds to locate
wounded men. They carry contain
ers of water, and after letting the
soldier quench his thirst, they race
back to the stretcher-bearers and
lead them to the injured man
In England the Red Cross dogs are
furnished with gas masks.
The, first war in which the Amer
lean Red Cross took part was the
Spanish-American fracas Clara
Barton, founder of the American
branch, had her hospital next to
Major Leonard Woods tent at Sibo-
ney. One day fellow-officer of
Major Woods stamped into her hos
pital with a sack in his hand
81 have some sick men in my regi
ment," he beloved, land they want
whatever delicacies you have here.
I'll pay for them out of my own
pocket. Will you sell them to me?"
mot for a million dollars"
Clara replied i. 81 NEED that
stuff" protested the officer, shov-
ing out his jaw. I think lot of
my men. I'm proud of them" i.
''We're proud of them, too" retort-
ed Clara. "But we can't sell hos
pital delicacies. We give them" >. :.
Chuckling, the officer filled his sack
and stamped out Which is how
Col. Teddy Roosevelt became Red
Cross fan.
A red cross can be displayed only
by the Red Cross Society, accord
ing to an act of Congress. with
the exception of Army, Navy and
Marine Corps medical authorities,
anyone else who uses a red cross
is liable to a $500 fine and year
in jail)
There are a million and a half
Red Cross volunteers in the United
States. Volunteers receive no pay
and must buy their own uniforms.
whats more, they must serve 100
hours before they're permitted to
put on their uniforms.) On the
bulletin board of the Red Cross
in l.. A. is this reminder: Don't
forget that Thumbs Up can be
done with one hand, while the other
hand Digs"
Buy Defense Bonds
War prisoners of all nations are
looked after and protected by the
International Red Cross, which sets
minimum standards of treatment
and makes inspections of prison
camps The Red Cross handles
all communications between prison
ers and their families. Every ma
ton at war sends the names and