398 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



My brother, John P. Wallace, has been active during the past year 

 in Red Cross work. Just now the Red Cross is launching a state-wido 

 and nation-wide campaign, and I have asked him to come here, because 

 he is chairman of the work in this state, and tell this representative 

 body of citizens from the different parts of the state, something of that 

 work, so that when you go home you can tell your own people about it, 

 and have the part I know you want to have in that very necessary and 

 important campaign. 



Mr. John P. Wallace: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It has 

 been my pleasure to talk Red Cross to a number of city audiences, but 

 this is the first time I have really had the pleasure of talking to a farm 

 audience, and it is a very great privilege. 



As we have eaten a fine dinner tonight, had nice table linen, flowers, 

 etc., do you realize that there are a million homeless people in Europe? 

 That is one place where the Red Cross comes in. The Red Cross is 

 taking care of homeless people in Belgium, in Poland, and in many coun- 

 tries in Europe. Do you realize that in this great battle on the western 

 front in France, fifteen hundred villages and towns of France have been 

 destroyed? Imagine, if you can, beautiful Iowa, with not a tree or a fence, 

 and the ground filled with great shell holes, and you have a picture of the 

 condition as it actually exists in France today. 



The Red Cross is making homes for these people. Its services are 

 twofold: Civil relief (which would come under that head), and mili- 

 tary relief. Not only in France, but in all the other warring countries, 

 the Red Cross is doing its work and doing it well. It was made possible 

 by our campaign all over this nation last year, in which Iowa raised 

 nearly two millions of dollars of the one hundred million dollar fund. 

 Forty millions of that fund have been spent thui far in civil relief and 

 military relief. 



This coming campaign is not one for money; it is a campaign to 

 interest every man, woman and dhild in the American Red Cross. No 

 child is too young to become a member of the Red Cross; even a new 

 baby is eligible to membership — no man or woman too old. There are 

 no people who take greater interest in the Red Cross than the older 

 ladies, knitting socks and sweaters, and they take particular pride in 

 knitting socks. 



As we sit here tonight, there are thousands of American boys in 

 France, some of them already in the trenches. I call your attention to 

 the fact that an Iowa boy, Merle D. Hay, who voluntarily enlisted in 

 May, was one of the first three Americans killed. After reaching France, 

 he wrote back home: "Tell the folks about the Y. M. C. A."; and they 

 were giving this message in our camp when Iowa raised $1,400,000 for 

 Army "Y" Work. If Merle Hay had simply been wounded, he would 

 have sent this message: "Tell the folks about the Red Cross." 



The Red Cross is the only organization for relief work recognized by 

 the government. It has its hospitals right up to the very firing line. 

 After the first-aid dressing station there is an emergency hospital, where 

 the absolutely necessary work is done. Just as soon as the wounded 

 soldier is taken care of at the emergency hospital, he goes back to the 



