OUR ARMIES OF MERCY 



By Henry P. Davison 



Chairman of the War Council of the American Red Cross 



Probably every member of the National Geographic Society, if not already 

 in service, has at least one near relative or dear friend preparing cheerfully and 

 unselfishly for the battle lines on sea and land. Those who cannot go are search- 

 ing for means to help their loved ones and our beloved country. In order to assist, 

 in their patriotic ambition to be of service, those zuho must stay at home, the 

 National Geographic Magazine, by courtesy of the American Red Cross, pub- 

 lishes herewith the principal addresses at one of the most awakening meetings that 

 has ever assembled in America — that of the American Red Cross War Council, 

 held in Washington on May 24 and 25. 



The meeting had been called by the President of the United States to plan 

 means for raising immediately an immense Red Cross war fund. Every one who 

 reads the addresses by General Pershing, Henry P. Davison, Ian Malcolm, John 

 H. Gade, Herbert C. Hoover, Frederick Walcott, Secretary Baker, Eliot Wads- 

 worth, and ex-President Taft will appreciate the imperative necessities of our 

 Department of Mercy. 



The members of the National Geographic Society arc urged to cooperate with 

 the Red Cross through their local Red Cross chapters, but, for the convenience of 

 the many thousands of members living in remote places, where there is no Red 

 Cross chapter, remittances may be made to the Red Cross fund through the Na- 

 tional Geographic Society, using the blank form printed on another page. 



Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Director and Editor. 



THE most stupendous and appeal- 

 ing call in the history of the world 

 to aid suffering humanity con- 

 fronts our Red Cross. Millions of men 

 who have been fighting for liberty lie 

 dead or wounded ; millions of women and 

 children are homeless and helpless ; hun- 

 dreds of towns and villages have been 

 destroyed ; disease and distress are ram- 

 pant. 



Up to now our own people have not 

 suffered. While Europe has been pour- 

 ing out her life-blood, America has ex- 

 perienced a prosperity she had never 

 known before. 



But now we ourselves are in this gigan- 

 tic war. We now see that the struggle 

 against autocracy and tyranny which our 

 Allies have been making is and from the 

 first has been in reality no less our strug- 

 gle than theirs. We ourselves must now 

 share the suffering which they have en- 

 dured; we, too, must bear the burdens 

 and we must do our part in a very real 

 way. 



NEEDS BEYOND COMPUTATION 



Our Red Cross is a vital factor in the 

 struggle. To promote efficiency in ad- 



ministering its great responsibilities, the 

 President of the United States has cre- 

 ated a Red Cross War Council. We of 

 the Council know now only what the 

 minimum requirements are ; but we know 

 already that the needs which our Red 

 Cross alone can supply are at present be- 

 yond computation. 



Something of what we must expect to 

 do and something of the sacrifices which 

 we must expect to make will be indicated 

 by the following summary of the very 

 present situation : 



Hundreds of American doctors and 

 nurses are already at the front. A force 

 of 12,000 American engineers will soon 

 be rebuilding the railroads of France. 

 Upwards of 25,000 American men are 

 now on the battlefields of Europe, fight- 

 ing as volunteers in the Allied armies ; 

 soon 25,0001 American regulars will be 

 added to their number. 



All our National Guard is to be mobil- 

 ized, our regular army is to be recruited 

 to full strength, and 500,000 other men 

 are shortly to be called to the colors. 

 Within a few months we should and will 

 have in service an army of 1,000,000 and 

 a navy of 150,000 men. 



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