Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1918 — YOUR RED CROSS An Army Without a Gun [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

YOUR RED CROSS An Army Without a Gun

By MEREDITH NICHOLSON

Of the Vigilantes.

THE Red Cross is the greatest instrument of mercy the world has ever seen. Noble as the service of mercy and helpfulness was in Civil War days, the Red Cross surpasses it immeasurably not only in the range and variety of its effort, but in efficiency and effectiveness. The Red Cross is, we may say, the arms of the mothers of the world reached out to their sons to bind up their wounds and comfort them. The Red Cross is an army without a gun that wages war only upon suffering and heartache. Where the flag of the stars goes there the banner of the Red Cross must fly beside it. We watch our boys go forth to war with a spirit of hopefulness because we know that this great agency of humanity presses close behind them; that its work is not incidental, but the intelligent directed effort of one of the most marvelous organizations ever contrived by American genius. We have all contributed to the Red Cross; we shall be called upon again to contribute to its funds, —again and perhaps again. And we will respond again and yet again! For this is a war for the defense of civilization, and we of great, free, splendid, glorious America, have every intention that it shall be fought with the army of the Red Cross solidly supporting our soldiers.