62 A HISTORY OF NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION 



July of that year the American Red Cross approached the Na- 

 tional Tuberculosis Association with the suggestion that the 

 seal sale be discontinued for the following Christmas. After a 

 series of conferences, in September an agreement was reached 

 whereby the Red Cross appropriated the sum of $2,500,000 

 to the tuberculosis movement in the United States to be distri- 

 buted by the National Tuberculosis Association to the states and 

 through the states to the local associations. This sum was in lieu 

 of the seal sale which was not conducted that year. In 1919, the 

 last Red Cross seal sale was held. It is significant to note that in 

 that year the seal design bore both the emblem of the American 

 Red Cross and the double-barred cross of the National Tuber- 

 culosis Association. The sale of 1919 aggregating $3,872,622 

 terminated the arrangement with the American Red Cross begun 

 in 1910. The tuberculosis movement in the United States will 

 never be able to repay the American Red Cross for the assistance 

 it gave through the loan of its name, its funds, and the support 

 of the Red Cross Seal during those critical years of development 

 from 1910 to 1919. 



In 1920 the first strictly tuberculosis Christmas seal, featuring 

 the double-barred cross emblem alone, was issued. Although 

 confronted by a radical change in policy and by unfavorable 

 financial conditions, the power of the penny Christmas seal is 

 shown in the fact that the total result in 1920 reached the sum of 

 $3,662,312 for the United States. In 1921 the seal sale totaled 

 over $3,500,000. 



It is interesting to record here the ways in which the Christmas 

 seal has helped to develop tuberculosis work. It would be difficult 

 or almost impossible to record all of the many ways, but a few of 

 the more significant will be of value. 



First of all, the Christmas seal has always been and still is the 

 greatest means for spreading the educational message of the tu- 

 berculosis campaign that has ever been devised. Because the 

 penny Christmas seal reaches everyone, rich and poor, there is 

 afforded an opportunity for bringing the message of tuberculosis 

 to all kinds of groups. The Christmas seal furthermore furnishes 

 the opportunity for widespread publicity. Every year at Christ- 

 mas time the educational campaign of the tuberculosis movement 



