Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 43, Number 161, 18 May 1918 — Page 9

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM AND SUN-TELEGRAM. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1918

PAGE ELEVEN

I! S t tor Oa

' A Groat Net of Hercy3re t - - r-T- iirnim-nf rfVT- -i run m 11 Tnn naii'iii iMmu TOfcArf l.r

THE HEROISM OF MERCY

By OPIE READ

When a Feller Needs a Friend

If? ' (i - X 1 v

There is no greater heroism than the heroism of mercy. There is no truer

bravery than the bravery of tenderness

Out of the crash of nation against nation arises a Christ-like sympathy, and the

insignia of its tenderness is the cross o:

red. It is the only remaining glow of a Christian hope. It is religion under

shell iire. It is a sigh set to the music of sympathetic action. If a man who

speaks truth should say to you, " With the use of five dollars , you can save a

useful life, alleviate a hundred nights of pain," you would grant him the money. You would not feel that you had

lost, but gained.

This is what the Red Cross says to you: "Give of your safe and secure substance and I will sooth pain. I will gather up men, heroes who have been shot to the earth, and housing them I will nurse them back to life. For myself I ask no

recompense. My reward is my conscience. My applause is

restoring man to his tamily.

Hearing these words and feeling that they are true

would you hesitate, to open your purse, whose contents were

gathered m times of peace f

The Red Cross appeals to you personally. To you it

opens its merciful heart and begs you for assistance. ' The cutting down of one luxury a day would mean a soothing

tenderness on the red fields of ranee.

George Washington

Was Not Mentioned

Youthful French Orator Seemed to think Lafayette Was

Really the Father of This Country. By DR. ESTHER LOVEJOY.

What la the attltudo of the French people toward the Americans? The French are a very polite people, and, no matter what their Inmost thoughts

may bo, they are not likely to express on opinion to an American other thnn complimentary. - But the children of

nil the world are guileless. They can

be depended upon to express In public

the private opinions of their parents. The children of France are crazy about Americans in uniform, so we guess what their parents feel for us. On oao occasion I was passing a public school with another lied Cross woman r-hyslclan in uniform and a French visiting nurse. The'school had Just been dismissed, and a group of young beys camo trooping out Instantly we were surrounded, and after a second's parley u young Mlrabcau of about twelve years, the spokesman of the group, stepped forward, bowed formally and delivered an address on Lufayctte and America, which was punctuated by tlio appluuso of his admiring compatriots. The American Eaglet could not possibly have screamed louder in the United States on the Fourth of July thnn It did on that back street of n munition town in France. Washington Not Mentioned. There seems to'ie some difference of opinion on the relative Importance of certain historic characters connected with tho American devolution.

Lafayete is inseparately associated in the mind of young France with the United States and all it stands for.

George Washington wasn't mentioned,

According to the juvenile French

version, Lafayette saved America.

This was the most glorious achieve ment iu the history of the world. Sin

gle handed and alone Lafayette sowed the seeds of liberty in the United States that has spread from the Atlantic to the Faciflc and fired the souls of a hundred million people. When the

American colonies were in a death

struggle with the Hanoverian monster on the throne of England the Hohenzollerns and Hessians and Hindenburg-

ers and all the li s representing Hell

on Earth in that day and generation Lafayette crossed the. ocean on a slow sailing ship so slow, so slow for so swift a soul and saved America. And

now, after 140 years, the hosts of

America, a million strong, are returning that historic visit for the purpose

of repaying the debt of gratitude.

To say that the audience followed the speakejr would be understating the case. They all seemed familiar with

the speech, and their applause fre

quently anticipated its climaxes. Good

feellnc was rampant. We shook hands

with all the youngsters within reach

and as we turned the corner we looked hack, and they gave us a final "Vive

l'Amerlque I"

SAVIOURS

By ANGELA MORGAN fours is the daring skill to tread The waters of a world at war; Yours i3 the miracle to shed Where, rocking: seas of hatred are, Courage and comfort, like a star. You cry unto an earth dismayed, And God is thrilling in your tone: "Brothers, the ship is not alone; Be not afraid!" Ye are the Christs of this" black hour, The Great Physician come again, Within your sacred hands the power To heal the race of men. Ye hold the hurt world to your breast; Ye bind her bruised and broken soul; The sick, tho maimed and the oppressedYours is the gift to make them whole. And where the 6tricken miles unroll Ye sound the resurrection morn ; Above the bier where Justice lies, With visions of an age new born, Ye bid the dead arise ! , O World, that walkest now in tears Where Truth again is crucified . After the thousand, thousand years See yet that Christ is not denied I '

Contributed by Briggs.

Caleb Rogers Does

A Bit of Figgerira'

By JOSEPH C. LINCOLN Of the Vigilantes.

Caleb Rogers was seated at the little

desk behind the counter of his "gen

eral store" at Rogers' Corners. His check booftwas open before him, and he was tapping his front teeth with the end of a penholder and apparently

considering ' deeply. Daniel Griggs, who owns the big farm half a mile up the road, entered the store and stood for a moment regarding its proprietor with an amused smile.

"Well, Caleb," he observed, "you

look and act more like a Rockefeller every day you live. I presume likely

you're flggerln' whether you'll invest

this month's income in more Standard lie or use it to buy your wife another

diamond collar?"

Mr. Rogers smiled also, but he was

serious enough a moment later.

"Dan," he said, "I tell you what 1

was figgerin'. I was flggerln' whether

hadn't better make the check I was

goln' to give the Red Cross folks n hundred Instead of fifty."

Griggs' mouth opened in astonish

ment

What About Jim GriggS? "You give a hundred dollars to the

Red Cross, Caleb Rogers !" he demand ed. "Youl Are you crazy? You sar talnly ain't worth any more money

than I am, and I was calculattn' to givt I

about ten not more'n fifteen anyway.

The Red Cross Is a mighty fine thing,

I know that well enough. But if you'll

tell me why folks no richer than you

and me should give" ,

Caleb's foot, which had been resting

over one corner of the desk, came to

the floor with a bang. . He straighten

ed, leaned forward and shook his fore

finger earnestly at his visitor.

"Tell you?" he repeated. "xes, Dan

Griggs, I will tell you. I'll tell you be

cause you've got a boy, same as I have,

up here at the big camp, and It won't

be many weeks, or even days, afore

they're both over on t'other side of the

big pond fightin the most cussed

cruel, unscrupulous gang of thieves

and murderers that ever rigged up In

uniforms and killed women and babies

for fun. Oh, of course, you know all that, you'll say. You know your son

has enlisted and is goln to war, to

battle, to ru ' hls chance along with

the rest of bel. 1 killed or wounded or

taken prisoner. You know It, yes, in a

general way you do. Such things, the woundln' and all that, happen to other boys every day, but It's amazln' how slow fellers like you and me are to realize that they're Just as likely to happen to that one boy we set so much

store by. It's what I've Just been try-

In to realize, Dan. I've been slttln'

here thlnkin' it out v

-"'Take my own boy or take yours.

to fetch it right home--take your Jim.

Jim left here and he went off to camp

to be trained. And it was colder than

the northeast corner of an Ice chest up In that camp, and he no sooner landed thar than he realized he hadn't got the heavy sweater he'd ought to have. His mother would have knit ft, but

twould have taken time, and he'd have

pretty nigh froze waitin'. So tbe Red Cross gave It to him, along with wristers and a comfort kit On the

way up to camp wherever that troop

train he was on stooped there was

Red Cross women with hot coffee and sandwiches, a-makin' him comfortable, doin' the little kind things you and his mother are just longin' to do this minute. ; " When . Christmas come who saw that the bundles from home got to him? Who gave him things candy and smokes and such onlts own account? The Red Cross,-that's who 1 And when he had the bad cold and fever who supplied the nurse that did more than anybody else to fight the pneumonia off? The Red Cross, Dan; nobody else. y "And when he's on the ship goln' across, when lie's marehln' through Fiance on his way to them trenches we read so much about, when at last he's in those trenches who's lookin' out for him every-minute of the time? Who's motherin' and fatherin' him. same as you and your wife would give ill this wide world to be able to do? Why, the Red Cross, just the Red Cross "And when he goes over the top to ret his first real punch at the Kalser'e ang of pirates, suppose he gets a bul et through him somewheres. It can iust as likely he him or my Sam a mybody else's boy, remember that Tie's lyln' out there in No Man's Land tnd it's night and cold and wet, and he's in pain, awful pain, and"

Mr. Griggs interrupted. "For mer-y sakes, don't, Caleb I" h pleaded. " can't bear to think of it." "Then you ought to. 'Twill do yoU good to think just a little. For pretty soon who comes crawlln' along througl' the hell fire to him and gives him water and morphine. If he needs It and

binds up his wound3 and carries him back to the place where the doctors are? And whose doctors are they that gives him the - very best treatment that's possible, and whose hospital does he go to afterwards, and whose doctors and nurses take such good care of him there? Puttln' it nil together, who makes Jim Griggs a well man again and makes it possible for his father and mother and sisters to lay eyes on him once more? Nobody on this earth but the Red Cross. And God bless it, I say 1 What Is Your Son Worth to Yea? "And now you wonder why a man no richer than I am is glvin' a hundred dollars to a society that's doin' all that and a million times more for my boy. Look here, Dan Griggs. How much la your son worth to you? If you could save his life by doin' it wouldn't you

sell the farm and the stock and your house and the last shirt on your back? Wouldn't you give him the last cent you had If he needed It to save himself from torture and death? Well, the Red Cross Is doin everything humans can do to save him from those things, and it's warmln' him and comfprtin him and keepln' him well and happy

besides. And what It's doin for him

if s doin' for every one of the 6oldlers

in the fields or the tralnin' camps, the hospitals even in the German prisons. And It needs money and you grudge glvin it"

Mr. Griggs shook his head. "No, I don't." he said. 'I guess I

can spare a' hundred, too for the boy's sake." t

YOUR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WAR FUND COMMITTEE TELLS HOW IT WAS SPENT. No Part of It, Says John D. Ryan, Went for Any Expenses of the Organization. John D. Ryan, vice chairman of the War Council, recently discussed the disbursements of the first $100,000,000 American Red Cross fund and spoke of the necessity for further funds. He announced that the week set apart for the drive is May 20 to 27. . . "We have collected $103,000,000," said Mr. Ryan. "We have allowed refunds to chapters as you know,

chapters are entitled to retain 25 per cent, of the collections covered by the chapter. They have not in all cases availed themselves of the 23 per cent..

but we have allowed $17,000,121 on this account. We have appropriated

to date $77,721,918 and we have avail

ible for appropriation on March 1

510.371,217, with the addition of $3,-

'(00,000 we know to be perfectly good

hen called upon. "'The appropriations have been ;nade to the different countries as follows: France, $30,936,103; Belgium,

2,086,131; Italy, $3,588,826; Russia,

Jl ,243,845; Rumania, $2,670,308; Ser .la, $875,180; Great Britain, $1,885,.50. including $1,000,000 that was ap

iropriated by the War Council to the British War Relief, and for other for

eign relief work, $3,576,300.

"For relief work for prisoners we mve expended $343,304, and this vork Is only beginning. These appro

priations have been made to care for the prisoners that we feared might be taken. We also spent for equipment

and expenses of Red Cross personnel

sent abroad $113,800; for army base hospitals in the United States, $54, 000; for navy base hospitals in the

United States, $32,000; for medical and hospital work in the United States, $531,000; for sanitary service

in camps in this country, $403.000 ; for

camp service in the United States, $6,451,150, and miscellaneous In the United States, $1,118,748. We have funds restricted as to use by the

donors amounting to $2,520,400, and

we have as a working capital for the purchase of supplies for resale to chapters or for shipment to Franc of $15,000,000. We have working cash advances for France and tbe United States of $1,286,000. "People say we use 60 cents to spend a dollar. The expenses of the Red Cross today are well within tho amount of money provided by membership fees. No part of the $105,000,000 that we got is spent for carrying on the work."

RED CROSS CANTEENS; JUST WHAT THEY ARE American Woman Tells Vividly of Her Canteen Tbe Gayest, Brightest little Room One Ever Saw. -

NEVER SO PROUD OF ANYTHING IN HER LIFE

Just what a Red Cross canteen Is,

how it Is outfitted, and the hundred

problems the American women have

to meet In feeding the Frencn, jsng-

lish and American soldiers is wen shown In this letter from an American Red Cross worker : We have really a wonderful place.

It was eiven to us so rough and plain

and ugly. I had a coat of plaster put

on the walls, palntea a Drignt Diue

wainscot three feet high witn a sten

cil of flowers of red, white and blue

above, white walls and ceiling, doors and windows outlined with light green, and stencils of bright colors between

the windows of trumpets, and over

the five doors delicious little paintings bv Miss Kirknatrick and Miss Beckett

of soldiers and canteeners in the most clever and attractive way.

Brightest Little Room. At the end of the room we have two

girls, one American and one French,

holding French and American nags. We have red and white oilcloth on the

tables, red glass carafes and red tur

key window curtains, and always nowers on the counters. It Is the gayest

brightest little room you ever saw. However, It only holds about 120 men seated at the tables and It is to be used as a recreation room and even movies. Our big room Is to have a huge kitchen and seats for 1,000 men or over, and will open right on to the platform. It Is to be decorated by an artist from the Beaux Art as Miss Beckett has gone and Miss Klrkpatrick Is too busy. It will really be a splendid big place and wevcan work In comfort Instead

of being put In straits as we are now in to feed so many men with only six gas burners in a long row. We make the coffee, soup, cocoa, and ragout of sometimes regular Irish stew on oat stoves and the roasts are cooked for us gratuitously at the bakers'. ' All food except coffee, meat; cocoa anft sugar Is cheap down here. It is th garden district of France. ATI the acu are so pleased and grateful and w get such post cards and thanks. We have stewed apples, stewed dates &n figs for deserts and I tell yon it keeps us bopping to keep things goits. Sometimes we run ont of meat 334 then we fry eggs for them sod tier, love them. Tbe dormitories are wonderful. I never was so proud of any thing before. .Two Hundred, canvas stretchers for bel& We never used them before, but s;' can keep theia clean and put t outside if tier is any Termin. Model of Cleanliness. V We have a splendid fumigating plant and an incinerator, and the place 13 a model of cleanliness. All the men take off their wet and dirty noors. We have good felt slippers for them, two woolen blankets for each bed, two big stoves and an orderly that wakes them for their trains, good shower baths and wash rooms and altogether, when the big room is finished, it will be a model of everything It should be. particularly as our last touch Is a bar ber. Last year the men slept In the road. We have adopted the Aube.-ge sabots as the only sensible footwear

as the roads and our floors are always wet.

TQOYOUNGTOKEEP GAS MASKS ON

The Myriad Things the Red Cross

Does, That Government Can Not Do.

want to tay to you that no other organization sfnee tho world began hat ever done $uch great conttructlve work with the efficiency, dispatch and underttandtng, often under advene circumstances, that hat been done ly the American Red Cross in France. General Pershing.

Manv oeople say : "Why doesn't the

government do the work of tbe Red

Cross?" There is no better reply to this question than to cite some of the

activities of the American ilea uross. Last August the American Bed Cross issued an order for an automobile to be given to a French hospital for children of Toul, near Nancy. .A. lot of chintzes for the bedrooms were sent

down to brighten them up, a lot of toys

for the children French children brought In from the war zone, too

young to keep on their gas masks. To

day ten Red Cross automobiles are hauling to Bed Cross hospitals in France French children whose parents, held In slavery In Germany, are now being dumped every day at Evian, on the Franco-Swiss border. Fancy our government doing that for French children. Yet It must be done

If the French morale behind the lines

is to be kept up. These deeds of the

American Red Cross are Just as much

a part of our military policy In France and Italy as though they were done under articles of war. Hired Knitters? Nol " The government could, of course.

hire knitters ; it could, of course, Issue

pensions for soldiers' families in America. It could buy ether and bandages and hire nurses. But these things are so small a part of the Red Cross work that with them alone our cause would

fail. Every man or woman who out of

his own heart here at home gives to support the Red Cross In helping our cause from an angle of attack that is new in modern war. It Is the angle of brotherhood., It stiffens the courage

of civilians. It puts heart into our soldier allies by the comforting knowledge that their home affairs are going well. And every dollar put Into the Red Cross makes not only for victory In this war, but for everlasting peace between the great nations now fighting together in this . war. England and

France have been our beneficiaries, not merelv with the blood of our soldiers.

But England and France and Italy

have seen now ireeiy ana now wen we nend our love of humanity unnn their

people at home, how truly and effec

tively we are mends in need, brothers In democracy. That Is Ihe Red Cross

Job to make enduring the peace galn-

ea Dy our guus. j

SOME STRINGS ON RED CROSS GIFTS Eighteen Dollars Given for Reliel of the Chinese in , ,; , France.

One of tbe least known phases ot the Red Cross is the accounting. In a talk recently given at a Red . Cross luncheon by the Deputy Con troller, a most interesting phase of this branch of Red Cross work was brought out in the story of the n strlcted gifts. . The fact that a person makes a restricted gift to tbe great Red Cross In dicates that that person is particularly anxious to know that his or her money reaches a definite piece of work in this war relief. Every penny that comes Into the Rcl Cross has to be balanced on an edg to see into Just which of the more than five hundred accounts it shall drop. When that penny comes in 1 must be spent in Just the way tne donor wishes. . On the very day the Comptroller spoke, there had come in a restrictel gift from a little Sunday school in small California town $18 to be spent for relief of Chinese in France net $18 to be spent for relief of Chinese, which could have been easily arranged with the general work now being cai rled on in the flooded districts in Cht no. Not that, but $18, given possibly in little penny and five-cent contribu.. tlons by Sunday school children who had learned somewhere that there were Chinese in France who neede-l help. That money will be spent foi the' relief of Chinese in France. TlM restriction of the donors will be observed. i The same morning came $15 for re lief of Belgian soldiers in Paris not Belgian soldiers who might be in Os tend or Belgian prisoners in Brussels or Germany, but $15 to go toward tbe relief of Belgian soldiers In Che city of Paris and this restriction will be observed and the $15 will find Its right place. . You may get an idea of the amount of business conducted with tbe Red Cross funds in this unofficial work of Mercy when yon learn that tbe clear

ance of the Red Cross for tbe month of February was greater than the clearance of tho largest Washington bank. '

Can any one doubt the care In tnn

expenditures of the American people's

millions when be learns that each

penny is carefully considered to see where it must be charged, and that every item of receipt and expense ia

carefully scanned, not only by compo tent officials of bigb business standing, but also by our own Government's War Department?