H SHORE 
BREE ZE- 
RED CROSS SOCIETY 
Its History and Methods of Work 
Explained by Miss Boardman at 
Meeting in Manchester 
Miss Mabel T. Boardman, national 
chairman, gave a very interesting 
address at Manchester last week, on 
the history of the Red Cross move- 
ment and its method of work. The 
address was made in connection 
with the annual meeting of the Hs- 
sex County chapter, in the Town 
hall, Thursday afternoon, September 
28th. Miss Boardman said in part: 
‘‘The International Treaty of 
Geneva provides for the protection 
of hospital formations and their per- 
sonnel in time of war and it also 
provides protection for the Red 
Cross societies which are officially 
recognized by their respective gov- 
ernments for the work of organizing 
voulnteer aid in time of war. Pres- 
ident Taft issued last August, a 
proclamation to the effect that the 
American Red Cross was the official 
organ of volunteer aid in this coun- 
try, and -througn 1. must, pass 
all volunteer aid in time of 
war. This is to place the use of the 
Red Cross emblem in _ responsible 
hands and prevents its abuse which 
would tend to nullify the Treaty. 
The Red Cross has broadened its 
scope of work so as to include relief 
after serious national and interna- 
tional disasters. The President of 
the United States is the President 
of the American branch and he ap- 
points representatives on the Cen- 
tral Committee of the State, Treas- 
ury, War, Navy, and Justice De- 
partment. All its accounts are aud- 
ited by the War Department. The 
Governors of the various states are 
Presidents of the State Red Cross 
Boards and in many cities and towns 
Red Cross Chapters for the collect- 
ing of funds and supplies exist. 
‘“The work under the Central 
Committee is segragated into three 
boards. The War Board studies war 
relief measures. Its Nurses Commit- 
tee has already enrolled two thou- 
sand of the best trained nurses for 
active service in time of need and 
these nurses give their services to 
the Red Cross at such times at half 
their usual salaries. The First Aid 
Committee is organizing instructions 
in First Aid especially in the in- 
dustrial employees throughout the 
country. It has Red Cross First Aid 
books in English, Italian, Lithu- 
anian, Slovak and Polak. First Aid 
outfits for mines, factories, railroad 
stations, ete., have been prepared. 
It owns two cars which are used as 
traveling schools for First Aid in- 
structions among the railroad men 
and miners. Each is in charge of a 
physician and the railroads trans- 
port these cars free of all expense. 
Competitions are held, prizes and 
medals awarded. President Taft 
will be present at a great demonstra- 
tion of the government rescue work 
and the Red Cross First Aid among 
miners on October 31st at Pittsburg. 
‘“‘The National Relief Board has 
charge of relief after national dis- 
asters. It obtains from the best 
charity organizations trained work- 
ers to act under the directions of 
Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell, the Red 
Cross National Director. It reha- 
bilitates a community stricken by 
fire as were the villages of Beaudette 
and Spooner in Minnesota by pro- 
viding shelters. It pensions the wid- 
ows, children, and other’ dependents, 
as at the Cherry mine disaster or 
the shirt-waist factory fire in New 
York. Its aim is to put again upon 
their feet those suddenly made help- 
less by some great calamity. Since 
1905 it has aided in relief after a 
score of disasters in our own coun- 
try. It has provided the little Red 
Cross Christmas seals which in three 
years has raised some $600,000 to 
aid in the Anti-Tuberculosis fight. 
‘‘The International Relief Board 
renders assistance after interna- 
tional disasters and has aided in 
many foreign fields where  earth- 
quakes, voleanie eruptions, famines, 
floods, plagues and massacres have 
wrought a great amount of human 
misery and suffering. It sent Dr. 
Richard D. Strong and Dr. Oscar 
Teague to Mukden to study the 
pheumonic plague and act on the 
International Plague Commission for 
its prevention, as the American rep- 
resentatives, and Dr. Strong proved 
to be the leading member of this 
commission. It is now aiding the 
Chinese government to study flood 
eonditions and river conservency 
for the prevention of famines by 
providing the services of Mr. C. P. 
Jameson, an expert engineer who is 
now in China. For one of the du- 
ties of the Red Cross is not only to 
give relief after disaster but to de- 
vise and carry on measures for pre- 
venting same. 
‘In May, 1912, the IX Interna- 
tional Red Cross Conference, the 
first to be held outside of Europe, 
will take place in Washington. The 
meetings will be held in the Pan 
American Union building and a 
special building will be erected for 
the Red Cross exhibition. At this 
exhibition there will be a competi- 
tion for humane inventions for miti- 
gating the suffering on the field of 
battle, such as litters, ambulances, 
ete. $9000 in prizes will be awarded 
from the income of a fund given by 
the Dowager Empress of Russia. 
‘All the large foreign societies 
have great permanent funds amount- 
ing to millions of dollars. The Jap- 
anese Red Cross has an endowment 
of $7,500,000. The American Red 
Cross is trying to raise an endow- 
ment of $2,000,000, its income to 
maintain the organization, carry on 
its First Aid work, provide funds 
for the first immediate relief after 
great disasters, and for the neces- 
sary assistance in small disasters 
without too frequent public appeals. 
Hight hundred twenty-five thousand 
dollars ($825,000) have so far been 
raised, and one million, one hundred 
seventy-five thousand dollars ($1,- 
175,000) are still required. The 
plan is for each city and town to 
raise a quota equal to ten cents per 
capita of its people. New York 
City, San Francisco, Washington, 
Scranton, Manchester, Magnolia and ~ 
the Canal Zone have completed 
their shares and in each case save 
one have exceeded the amount; and 
other cities have raised a consider- 
able portion of their quotas. 
‘‘President Taft, Secretary Knox, 
Secretary McVeagh, and Senator 
Root all urge the American people 
to endow the Red Cross. The Pres- 
ident speaks of ‘the standing of this 
remarkable organization throughout 
the world and its importance to our 
own country.’ 
says: ‘When one considers the 
enormous endowments the Red Cross 
societies have in other countries 
much less rich than our own, it 
seems a shocking thing that the 
American Red Cross should not long 
ago have had:an adequate endow- 
ment.’ Secretary MeVeagh makes 
a plea that at the time the Inter- 
national Red Cross conference next 
‘our American Red Cross should be 
on as firm a financial basis as are 
the societies of Europe and Japan.’ 
Senator Root says: ‘I wish that the 
people of the United States could 
be brought to understand the great 
Secretary Knox 
services that the Red Cross is ren- — 
dering. JI am sure that if they do 
understand it they will support the 
organization cheerfully and gene 
ously.’ 
‘“‘The American people give most 
generously for local purposes but 
this is an opportunity to act as 
Americans and to show the same 
generous spirit in the national work 
that other countries have shown 
towards their national members of — 
this phones of all humanitarian or- 
ganizations.’’ 
pie 
