D THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS DURING THE WAR A STATEMENT OF FINANCES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE PERIOD JULY I, I917 TO FEBRUARY 28, I919 AMERICAN RED CROSS WASHINGTON, D. C. o J Qhs^Jo^S- Book^ \ THE WORK OF THE /^A ^ AMERICAN RED CROS^"'' DURING THE WAR A STATEMENT OF FINANCES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE PERIOD JULY I, I917 TO FEBRUARY 28, I919 AMERICAN RED CROSS WASHINGTON, D. C. OCTOBER, 19 19 i ^. Of p. OCT 25 I91Q -' 25 \iW FOREWORD To the American People : Herein is contained in the form of figures a report of money con- tributed and expended, as well as the work done by the American Red Cross, during the period in which the War Council was in con- trol of its affairs. It was the practice of the War Council to give complete publicity to its policies and finances, but it is only now that a picture of the war period as a whole can be presented. It is the feeling of the War Council that a report in this summarized form should be made directly to the public which provided the money and gave the effort which made the American Red Cross a success. Immediately the armistice was signed the War Council prepared to turn over the direction of affairs to the Executive Committee as the permanent head of the American Red Cross. The report herein con- tained therefore brings the affairs of the Red Cross only up to March I, 1919. On that date the War Council relinquished its authority. The work, however, of the American Red Cross was going on at a very rapid pace. The war work proper, incident to the military effort, was on an extensive scale long after hostilities ceased, and as the spring months revealed the conditions brought about by war, especially in Eastern Europe, the American Red Cross was face to face with obli- gations of large proportions on behalf of humanity. There was wide- spread suffering which we alone were in a position to relieve. A statement of the American Red Cross effort and finances since the War Council relinquished its control will be made to the public through the Executive Committee, and it is important therefore that the fact that this report covers the period only until March i, should be care- fully noted. The American Red Cross has wrought both largely and nobly, yet those who have been associated so intimately with its activities during the war and have witnessed the outpouring of service which it brought forth from all classes of people, cannot but feel that in time of peace IV FOREWORD the Red Cross will realize a yet larger destiny. This is not the place to detail these opportunities of the future, but it is a fitting occasion to repeat the happy phrase recently uttered by Cardinal Mercier in connection with the work of the American Red Cross: "Such a national inspiration should be captured and held for the benefit of all mankind." H. P. Davison Chairman, War Council TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword iii List of diagrams viii List of tables viii List of maps x Statement of Red Cross accomplishments xi Chapter L Summary of Financial Oioerations i General i Chapter finances 3 Finances of national headquarters 4 IL Membership and war drives 9 General 9 Membership 9 Summary 9 Adult membership 11 Junior membership 12 Revenues from membership 15 War drives 16 in. Work in the United States 21 General 21 Chapter activities 21 Production of relief articles 21 Home service — work for the families of soldiers and sailors 25 Canteen service 27 Motor corps service 31 Red Cross Work in Spanish inlluenza epidemic .... 31 Instruction in first aid 32 Activities of the national and divisional organizations . . 32 Nursing service 32 Camp service 33 Sanitary service 38 Communication work 40 Disaster relief 40 Life-saving work 41 Organization of base hospitals 41 Organization of ambulance companies 41 VI CONTENTS Page Other medical and hospital work 42 Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men . . 42 Red Cross Institute for the Blind 43 Supplies operations in the United States 43 Personnel 45 The administrative organization in the United States 47 IV. Work in France . . . . , 49 General 49 Hospital and medical work, with armies and navy .... 51 Hospitals for American and Allied troops 51 Convalescent homes for "American soldiers 52 Dispensaries and infirmaries for American soldiers ... 53 Hospital supply service for American Army 53 Red Cross supply service for French hospitals 53 Production and supply of splints 54 Production and supply of nitrous oxide and oxygen ... 54 Reconstruction and re-education 55 Canteens 56 General 56 Front-line canteens 56 Line of cominunication canteens 57 Aviation canteens 57 Evacuation hospital canteens 58 Metropolitan canteens 58 Recreational and welfare service for soldiers and sailors . . 58 Home and hospital service for soldiers and sailors .... 59 Hospital farms and gardens 59 Hospital recreational huts 60 Home communication service 60 Grave photography 61 Civilian relief 61 Relief of refugees 61 Relief of French soldiers' families .......... 62 Children's relief work . .' 63 Anti-tuberculosis work 63 Other activities 64 V. Work Elsewhere Overseas 65 General . • • 65 Belgium 66 Soldiers' relief service 66 Relief of children 67 Relief of civilians 67 CONTENTS Vll Page Italy :...'.... 68 Service for American soldiers and sailors 68 Medical and hospital service for the Italian Army ... 69 Ambulance service for the Italian Army ....... 69 Canteen service for the Italian Army 69 Relief of refugees 7^ Care of children 72 Other activities 72 British Isles 72 Hospital service 72 Camp and canteen service 73 Care of the shipwrecked 75 Other activities 76 Switzerland 76 Prisoners' relief service 77 Relief of civilians 79 Balkan States 79 Roumania 80 Serbia 81 Russia 82 Siberia 83 Medical service 83 Camp service 85 Refugee relief 86 Palestine and Near East 86 Other activities overseas 90 DIAGRAMS, TABLES, AND MAPS - LIST OF DIAGRAIMS Page Diagram i. Disposition of the average dollar spent by A. R. C 3 2. Value and distribution, by classes, of chapter-produced articles 22 3. Home service rendered to families of soldiers and sailors . . 26 4. Purchased supplies shipped overseas for Red Cross work, classified by kind and value 44 5. Hospital days in Red Cross military hospitals in France, dur- ing months of America's most active service 52 6. Thousands of drinks served in Red Cross canteens at the front, by months 56 7. American prisoners in German and Austrian prison camps aided by the Red Cross 77 LIST OF TABLES Table I. Combined financial operations A. R. C. as a whole 2 2. Chapter financial operations 3 3. National headquarters financial operations 5 4. Fund balances, national headquarters 6 5. Resources composing fund balances, national headquarters . . 7 6. Adult membership, compared with population, by States ... 11 7. Junior Red Cross members and percentage of membership to school population, by States 14 8. Collected contributions, first and second war drives combined, with comparisons by States 18 9. Collections in foreign countries, first and second war drives . . 20 10. Classification of relief supplies produced by chapter workers . . 23 11. Distribution of chapter-produced relief supplies 23 12. Classified list of relief articles produced by the Junior Red Cross 25 13. Refreshments served free by Red Cross canteens in U. S. ... 29 14. Supplies distributed free by Red Cross canteens in U. S 29 15. (Hours of service of Red Cross motor corps workers in U. S. . . 31 16. Pved Cross buildings in camps in U. S 34 17. Some of the principal articles distributed free in camps and hospitals in U. S. by the Red Cross 35 DIAGRAMS, TABLES AND MAPS IX Page i8. Hospital services in U. S 36 19. Home service cases in camps in U. S 36 20. Red Cross sanitary service in the prevention of malaria in U. S. 38 21. Red Cross sanitary inspections 38 22. Public health nursing within sanitary zones 39 23. Classification of principal disasters in which the Red Cross rendered aid 40 24. Supplies transactions in U. S 43 25. Tons of supplies shipped from U. S. overseas for Red Cross work 45 26. Schedule of personnel and salaries of the national organization . 46 27. Appropriations for cash expenditure in France 51 28. Work in twenty-four Red Cross military hospitals in France . 52 29. Red Cross production and supply of nitrous oxide and oxygen 54 30. Red Cross aid to French mutiles 55 31. Red Cross aid to disabled American soldiers in France .... 55 32. Summary statistics of Red Cross canteens in France 56 33. Red Cross line of communication canteens 57 34. Red Cross aviation canteens 57 35. Red Cross canteens in evacuation hospitals 58 36. Red Cross metropolitan canteens 58 37. Red Cross hospital farms and gardens in France 60 38. Red Cross moving pictures for hospitals 60 39. Red Cross home communication service in France 61 40. Relief of French refugees 62 41. Children's relief work in France 63 42. Anti-tuberculosis work in France 64 43. Appropriations for cash expenditure elsewhere overseas .... 66 44. Red Cross work among refugees in Italy 71 45. A few of the supplies distributed by the Red Cross among refugees in Italy 7^ 46. Some of the principal articles distributed free to American soldiers and sailors in the British Isles 73 47. Supplies furnished American prisoners 78 48. Hospitals operated by the Red Cross in Siberia 84 49. Supplies distributed by the Red Cross in Western Siberia ... 85 50. Refugee relief work of the Red Cross in Siberia 86 51. Medical service of the Red Cross in the Jerusalem district ... 87 52. Red Cross work among children in the Jerusalem district ... 89 53. Red Cross industrial and agricultural service in the Jerusalem district §9 X DIAGRAMS, TABLES AND MAPS Page LIST OF MAPS Map 1. 3724 Red Cross chapters by States and divisions 8 2. Percentage of adult membership to population, by States ... 10 3. Percentage of school children of the United States who were Junior Red Cross members, by States 13 4. Per cent, to wealth of combined collections in both Red Cross war drives, by States 17 5. Value of chapter-produced articles, by divisions, per chapter member 24 6. 3618 home service sections, by States 28 7. 700 Red Cross canteens in U. S 30 8. 339 military and naval stations in U. S. where camp service was conducted 34 9. 37 Red Cross sanitary units in U. S 37 10. 551 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in France 50 11. 141 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Italy 70 12. 329 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in the British Isles 74 13. 25 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Switzer- land 76 14. 13 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Rou- mania 81 15. 22 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Siberia 84 16. 54 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Palestine and the Near East 88 PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS DURING THE WAR Contributions received (money and material) $400,000,000 Red Cross members: Adults 20,000,000 Children 11,000,000 31,000,000 Red Cross workers 8,100,000 Relief articles produced by volunteer workers 371,500,000 Families of soldiers aided by home service in U. S 500,000 Refreshments served by canteen workers in U. S 40,000,000 Nurses enrolled for service with Army, Navy, or Red Cross 23,822 Kinds of comfort articles distributed to soldiers and sailors in U. S 2,700 Knitted articles given to soldiers and sailors in U. S. ... 10,900,000 Tons of relief supplies shipped overseas 101,000 Foreign countries in which Red Cross operated 25 Patient days for soldiers and sailors in Red Cross hospitals in France 1,155,000 French hospitals given material aid 3»78o Splints supplied for American soldiers 294,000 Gallons of nitrous oxide and oxygen furnished hospitals in France 4,340,000 Soldiers served by Red Cross canteens in France 15,376,000 Civilian refugees aided in France 1,726,000 American convalescent soldiers attending Red Cross movies in France 3,110,000 Wounded soldiers carried by Red Cross ambulances in Italy 148,000 Children cared for by Red Cross in Italy 155,000 I SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS For Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig GENERAL To present a complete picture of Red Cross financial operations it is necessary to bring together figures for national headquarters (including divisions and overseas commissions) and for all chapters. Each chapter is substantially autonomous in financial affairs. A proportion of "war-drive" contributions and of membership dues collected within its territory is retained by each chapter — the balance going to national headquarters — and it obtains other revenues through special contributions, proceeds from entertainments, sales, etc. The funds so obtained are used in operating canteens, home service work, production of relief articles and the thousand helpful local tasks that fall to the chapter. The funds received by national headquarters finance all overseas relief work, and the important tasks carried on in the United States, such as service to soldiers in all military establishments and hospitals etc., of a nature placing them outside the field of chapter activities; also, the cost of maintaining the necessary central organization, trans- portation both of relief supplies and personnel, and countless similar items. It will be clear from the above that the fields naturally covered by the two sets of figures are not generally similar, so that combined fig- ures can be given only to a limited extent. Unlimited details can be given for each group separately. The following table shows the revenues and expenditures of chapters and national headquarters combined for the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, round figures being used for simplicity: 2 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Table i COMBINED FINANCIAL OPERATIONS A. R. C. AS A WHOLE Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Revenues (including balance July i, 1917) National headquarters $263,000,000 Chapters 137,000,000 Total $400,000,000 Cost of Chap- ter-Produced National Articles Total Expenditures Headquarters Chapters Distributed Expenditures France . $57,000,000 $25,000,000 $82,000,000 Elsewhere overseas .... 64,000,000 8,000,000 72,000,000 United States 48,000,000 $43,000,000 28,000,000 119,000,000 Totals $169,000,000 $43,000,000 $61,000,000 $273,000,000 Balance, February 28, 1919 National headquarters — cash $41,000,000 National headquarters — supplies 53,000,000 Chapters 33,000,000 Total . $127,000,000 In connection with this balance of $127,000,000 on hand on Febru- ary 28 several things must be borne in mind, because this figure gives no indication of the greatly reduced amount which will probably be available eight months later. This is true because the cash in the hands of chapters supplied local needs during the spring and summer; and the supplies in the hands of divisions and overseas commissions represented work undertaken before February 28. On that date they were being utilized as rapidly as possible in completing these old obligations. The $41,000,000 unappropriated cash then in the hands of headquarters represented the only resource av^ailable for new under- takings or for carrying on the great bulk of the work for which no further financial provision had then been made; the obligations of the Red Cross committed it to continuing service in practically every line of activity, and many of these activities continued to expand for a period; indeed by the very nature of the case expenditures concerned STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 3 with the return of our soldiers and the caring for the recreational needs of the sick and wounded did not reach their zenith until a somewhat later date. The main distribution of all expenditures is indicated graphically below, on the basis of the above figures: CHAPTER FINANCES The growth in chapters during the war period was in keeping with the enormous growth in membership. The simple statement that on February 28, 1919, there were 3,724 chapters with 17,186 branches suggests the difficulties encountered in combining the accounts for this mass of units, each of which is largely autonomous in financial afTairs. However, each chapter is required to make simple financial reports to national headquarters at regular intervals, and the regulations call for a periodical audit of all of their afifairs by an auditing committee or outside auditor. From these sources a sufficient number of reports has been received to warrant estimates for the chapters still to be heard from. As a result of these computations, the following table is presented as covering the financial transactions of all chapters: Table 2 CHAPTER FINANCIAL OPERATIONS (Including Branches and Auxiliaries) Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Revenues Chapters' proportion of war drives l53,8oo,ooo Chapters' proportion of membership dues 18,440,000 Chapters' proportion of class fees 390,000 Sales of materials to members for relief articles 20,290,000 Contributions, legacies, and gifts 9,580,000 All other revenue 31,340,000 Total 1133,840,000 4 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Expenditures Materials purchased for relief articles |6o, 660,000 Canteen service 2,320,000 Equipment of military hospitals, ambulances, etc 3,070,000 Home service 8,790,000 Miscellaneous war relief 480,000 Spanish influenza epidemic relief work 1,680,000 Disaster relief 520,000 Public health nursing 380,000 Transportation on materials and supplies 290,000 General operating expenses 7,490,000 All other expenditures 17,900,000 Total $103,580,000 Excess of receipts over expenditures $30,260,000 Balance, June 30, 1917 3,200,000 Balance, February 28, 1919 $33,460,000 FINANCES OF NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS The financial and accounting plan applied to the affairs of national headquarters is one generally known as "the fund and appropriation system." Under this plan a number of funds exist, either under By- Law requirement or executive order, each for a specific purpose. All revenues are, on receipt, placed in the fund to which they belong. Money can be taken out of these funds only by formal act of appropria- tion voted by the War Council or the Executive Committee. Expendi- tures are made only under authorizations of this character. Appropriations, and therefore expenditures, are classified according to funds, countries, and classes of work. However, the amounts set aside for expenditure in a certain country are not necessarily a measure of work entered into for the sole benefit of the natives of that country ; for example, perhaps the larger part of the total amount appropriated for work in France benefited directly soldiers of the United States, though of course an immense amount of work was done for French soldiers, children, and refugees as well as for the nationals of other countries then located in France. On July I, 1917, the national headquarters had balances in relief funds aggregating $3,134,904.33. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, revenues aggregated $260,002,589.34, producing a total of $263,137,493.67 available for appropriation. From this amount $169,095,111.33 was appropriated, leaving balances in relief STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 5 funds on February 28, 1919, aggregating $94,042,382.34. This balance, now substantially depleted by appropriations made since February 28, consisted of cash and securities $41,339,337.67, and supplies $52,703,- 044. 67. ^ The general sources from which the revenues were obtained and the general classes of work for which the appropriations were made, are indicated in the following table: Table 3 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FINANCIAL OPERATIONS Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQIQ Relief Fund balances, June 30, 1917 $3. i34. 904-33 Revenues from July i, 191 7, to February 28, 1919 First war drive collections — national headquarters proportion . . . $92,947,388.54 Second war drive collections — national headquarters proportion . . 136,851,629.73 Membership dues — national headquarters proportion ' 18,930,056.17 Donations of surplus funds from chapters 1,419,460.07 Interest 3,157.268.95 Other revenues 6.696,785.88 Total revenues $260,002,589.34 Total available for appropriation and expenditure $263,137,493.67 Appropriations from July i, 1917, to February 28, 1919 War relief in France $57,207,003.95 War relief elsewhere overseas 63,840,655.04 War relief in United States 28,977,985.24 Disaster relief 938,420.87 Collections, enrolments, and publications 4,660,191.71 Operation of relief bureaus 2,727,055.90 Operation of bureaus for handling relief supplies; also transportation in United States of relief supplies 5.530.345-72 Operation of administrative bureaus at national and divisional head- quarters 4.359.758.03 Other activities 853,694.87 Total appropriations' $169,095,111.33 Balance in relief funds available for appropriation, February 28, 1919 $94,042,382.34 * Includes cash necessary to liquidate supply contracts. ' Excludes $949,838.29 dues from life and patron members, all of which go to the Endowment Fund. 'Of this sum $152,380,671.07 had been spent or advanced to February 28, 1919. 6 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The revenues quoted above are dealt with in detail in Chapter II. Expenditures are discussed in Chapters III, IV and V. In addition to the foregoing, there should be mentioned the Endow- ment Funds of the Red Cross, which are controlled by a special Board of Trustees which pays over all income to the national organization. On July I, 1917, these Funds aggregated $1,360,622.41. During the twenty months' period revenues, including life and patron dues, gifts, legacies and interest, totaled $1,072,382.27. In the same period, in- come payments to the national organization amounted to $106,095.91. The balance in the Funds on February 28, 1919, was $2,326,909.37. The details of the fund balances of national headquarters on Febru- ary 28, 1919, are given below: Table 4 FUND BALANCES NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS February 28, 1919 Appropriated but unspent War Fund $21,288,856.83 General Fund 312,696.71 Contingent Relief Fund 63,426.52 Special relief funds ; 124,032.98 Miscellaneous funds 200,000.00 Total $21,989,013.04 Less advances thereunder 5,274,572.78 Net total $16,714,440.26 Available for appropriation War Fund $88,879,857.60 General Fund 4,494,283.87 Contingent Relief Fund 228,614.38 Special relief funds 3,744.11 Miscellaneous funds 435,882.38 Total unappropriated relief funds $94,042,382.34 Endowment Fund $2,326,909.37 Total of fund balances $113,083,731.97 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 7 The assets, or resources, composing these fund balances are indi- cated below: 1 able 5 RESOURCES COMPOSING FUND BALANCES NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS February 28, igig Supplies In the United States Port warehouses $9,801,356.50 Division warehouses 17,101,267.85 Accounts receivable for supplies sold 795,548.64 Overseas 20,979,871.68 Total $48,678,044.67 Cash advances (to provide working capital) Overseas commissions $9,509,070.61 Divisions in the United States 2,993,990.13 Miscellaneous 331,000.00 Total $12,834,060.74 Current assets Cash in banks $19,062,878.60 Cash and securities in hands of War Finance Committee * .... 31,702,600.48 Securities owned 1,206,060.25 Bills receivable 2,920.00 Miscellaneous accounts receivable 631,742.16 Total $52,606,201.49 Less Current accounts payable $3,150,766.14 European drafts not yet presented 210,718.16 Net total $49,244,717.19 Endowment Fund assets in hands of Trustees $2,326,909.37 Total resources $113,083,731.97 * Representing that part of the net amount which the Treasurer of the National War Finance Committee reported as having been collected by him but not turned over by February 28 to the Treasurer of the American Red Cross. WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS II MEMBERSHIP AND WAR DRIVES GENERAL During the twenty months' period ending February 28, 1919, the Red Cross as a whole received in round figures 1400,000,000 in volun- tary contributions and subscriptions. Of this total $42,000,000 came from membership dues, and $283,500,000 from the war drives. The remainder came from so many different sources that specific mention is impossible in this report. MEMBERSHIP Summary On May i, 191 7, just before the appointment of the War Council, there were 562 chapters with a membership of 486,194 adult members. On February 28, 1919, there were 3,724 chapters with 17,186 branches embracing a membership, in round figures, of 20,000,000 adult members and 11,000,000 junior members. Practically every square mile in continental United States is now covered by some form of chapter organization. There are fifty-four chapters in insular and foreign places. Map I on the opposite page indicates the distribution of chapters by States and divisions on February 28, 1919. With the combined adult and junior membership of 31,000,000, nearly one-third of the entire population of this country are members of the American Red Cross. During the war period, there were two membership enrolments, a vast majority of the memberships being on an annual basis. Each "drive" was held in the week preceding Christmas, the first in 191 7, and the second in 191 8. Each resulted in an enrolment of about twenty million people. The costs of the two campaigns combined were in round figures, $1,450,000. 10 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS g ^ ^ 6§ ^ o "2 o •« Si •^ '-I ts es cs III I ». 6$ ^ 6§ fe? ^ O »H ^ « O q o q q o" O lo o STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT II Adult Membership The following table and the map on page lo present comparisons of adult membership by States as of December 31, 191 8, the member- ship being somewhat smaller than it was as of February 28, 191 9: Table 6 ADULT MEMBERSHIP, COMPARED WITH POPULATION, BY STATES December 31, igi8 State Membership Population 6 Per Cent, of Membership to Population Maine Massachusetts . . . Rhode Island . . . Vermont New Hampshire . . Connecticut .... New Jersey .... New York .... Delaware Pennsylvania . . . District of Columbia Maryland Virginia West Virginia . . . Florida Georgia North Carolina . . South Carolina . . Tennessee Indiana Kentucky Ohio Illinois Iowa Michigan Nebraska Wisconsin Alabama Louisiana Mississippi .... Montana Minnesota .... North Dakota . . . South Dakota . . . Arkansas Kansas Missouri 158.613 946,835 135.487 70,627 101,468 265,628 437.748 .554.535 15.634 ;,667,758 54.443 188,046 268,601 198,407 100,583 175.190 159.301 108,378 176,898 588,672 271,878 [,127,590 951,076 736,879 569.130 421,821 519.534 133.447 201,094 148,786 156,016 475.727 151.985 176,875 214.571 482,353 924,444 782,191 3,832,790 637.415 366,192 446,352 1,286,268 3,080,371 10,646,989 216,941 8,798,067 374.584 1.384.539 2,234,030 1,439,163 938,877 2.935.617 2,466,025 1.660,934 2,321,253 2,854,167 2,408,547 5.273.814 6,317.734 2,224,771 3.133.678 1,296,877 2,553.983 2,395.270 1,884,778 2,001,466 486,376 2,345,287 791.437 735.434 1,792,965 1,874.19s 3,448,498 20.28 24.70 21.26 19.29 22.73 20.65 14.21 14.60 7.21 18.96 14-53 13-58 12.02 13-79 10.71 5-97 6.46 6.53 7.62 20.63 11.29 21.38 15-05 33-12 18.16 32-53 20.34 5-57 10.68 7-43 32.08 20.25 19.20 24.05 11.97 25-74 26.81 ' Bureau of Census estimate as of July i, 1918. 12 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS State Oklahoma Texas Colorado New Mexico Utah Wyoming Alaska Idaho Oregon Washington Arizona California Nevada Insular and foreign places Total Per Cent, of Membership Population ^ Membership 2.377.629 to Population S67.521 23.87 1,000,429 4,601.279 21.74 250.574 1,014,581 24.69 47.457 437.015 10.85 102,981 453.648 22.70 44.231 190,380 23.23 23.594 64,912 36.34 103,914 461,766 22.50 247.518 888,243 27.86 353.020 1,660,578 21.25 39.317 272,034 14-45 658.123 3.119.412 21.09 22,811 114.742 19.88 105. 211 18,602,759 105,324,094 17.66 Junior Membership The Junior Membership comprivses what may be termed "the Junior Red Cross." In it the school children of the country are organized for educational and productive purposes under the inspiration of patriotic and other altruistic motives. During the fall of 191 7 the Red Cross first commenced to enroll junior members. By June, 1918, a children's army of 8,000,000 had been mobihzed, and by February 28, 1919, this number had increased to over 1 1 ,000,000. During the period covered by this report the work of the Junior Red Cross involved many kinds of war activities, including the production of relief articles, the operation of war gardens, the conservation of second-hand articles and assistance to the Government of the United States and the American Red Cross in many other lines of work. With the coming of peace the efforts of the juniors have been extended to helping the less fortunate children in this and in other lands. The results of the work of these young people was of considerable produc- tive value (see page 25). Obviously more valuable than the material product was the fact that a new life and interest entered the work of these school children when they realized that they were filling an immediate and definite need. The basic unit of organization in the Junior Red Cross is the auxili- ary or school. A school officially becomes a junior auxiliary when twenty-five cents has been paid into the Red Cross School Fund for ^Bureau of Census estimate as of July i, 1918. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT H WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS each pupil. On February 28, 1919, there were about 90,000 such auxili- aries. On that date, more than half of all the school children of America were members. In four States, Arizona, California, Delaware and Nevada, all school children were members. The following table and the map on page 13 present comparisons of the Junior Membership by States as of February 28, 1919: Table 7 JUNIOR RED CROSS MEMBERS AND PERCENTAGE OF MEMBERSHIP TO SCHOOL POPULATION, BY STATES February 28, igig State Maine Massachusetts . . Rhode Island . . . Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut . . . New Jersey . . . New York .... Delaware .... Pennsylvania . . . District of Columbia Maryland .... Virginia West Virginia . . Florida Georgia North Carolina . . South Carolina . . Tennessee .... Indiana Kentucky .... Ohio Illinois Iowa Michigan .... Nebraska .... Wisconsin .... Alabama .... Louisiana .... Mississippi .... Montana .... Minnesota .... Junior Members of School Population 32,025 19.25 507,266 69.86 44,948 40.30 14,204 19-35 13.718 15-38 154,121 53-71 395,497 67.22 1,339.951 70.38 56,050 100.00 1,451,059 86.12 . 51,601 79-90 140,076 51.29 138,208 27-43 77.740 24-39 25.252 12.20 164,484 24-27 41,667 6.17 41.134 9.66 74.433 11.68 244,621 40.48 163,080 28.59 387,622 37-81 765.473 58-95 355.584 62.64 552,307 79.60 230,645 . 75-68 373.310 70.68 15.465 2.90 48,502 13-53 10,734 2.15 81,627 74-36 370,628 71-33 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 15 State North Dakota South Dakota Arkansas . . Kansas . . . Missouri . . . Oklahoma . . Texas . . . . Colorado . . New Mexico . Utah . . . . Wyoming . . Alaska . . . Idaho . . . . Oregon . . . Washington Arizona . . . California . . Nevada . . . Total 11,418,385 s Junior Members Per Cent, of School Population 98,417 63-43 85,119 61.39 83.552 18.40 342,900 81.85 510,836 64.92 266,606 50.26 464,799 44-47 117.397 61.31 22,729 27-49 41.595 36.05 17.150 50.10 1,800 56.90 47.049 47-87 84.438 56.23 144.540 56.54 73.900 100.00 637.755 100.00 14.771 100.00 51-49 Revenues from Membership The American Red Cross, as a whole, received approximately $42,- 000,000 from membership dues during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919. Of this total, about $3,700,000 from junior mem- bers was placed in school funds, approximately $18,500,000 was re- tained by chapters, $949,838.29 went in the Endowment Fund, and $18,930,056.17 came to the national organization for general uses. Junior membership dues (twenty-five cents for each child) are placed in "school funds," and are used chiefly in purchasing materials to be made up into surgical and other relief supplies by the children. There are several classes of adult membership dues, but in all cases except the dues for life members and patrons (all of which are, under the By-Laws, credited to Endowment Fund) part of the dues is re- tained by chapters and part placed in the General Fund of the national organization. That part which is retained by chapters is used to pay the necessary costs of operating these most important units of the organization and to supplement the chapter's portion of War Fund collections when funds received through that source are inadequate to meet the needs for war relief work. 'This total does not include the 300,000 junior members in insular and foreign places. l6 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The General Fund, in which is placed the part of membership dues which comes to the national organization (excepting dues from life members and patrons) is provided, under the By-Laws, to cover "the general expenses of the corporation." The receipts which have been placed to the credit of this Fund have been sufficient to pay not only the costs of managerial offices and administrative bureaus, but also to finance the costs of operating all relief bureaus and all bureaus for handling relief supplies maintained both at national and divisional headquarters, and to carry on numerous specific relief activities. WAR DRIVES In order to secure the major portion of the funds required for relief work, two so-called "war drives" were developed. Each "drive" in- volved the setting of a definite period during which the whole nation was called on to give, and the creation of a comprehensive organization to attend to the related work. In round figures, $283,500,000 was de- rived from the two "drives." Because of the importance of the work, and its distinctive character, an entirely separate national organization was created for collecting and handling the funds. This organization was headed by a War Finance Committee, appointed by the President, and under it were local campaign committees covering the entire United States. The funds secured were collected in local banks, gradually transferred to central depositories and then turned over to the Treasurer of the Red Cross as needed. The size of the task is indicated by the fact that in the first "drive" there were 3,929 campaign committees and 3,986 banks of deposit, and in the second "drive" 3,898 committees and 8,768 depositories. The funds obtained from the "drives" were divided between the chapters and national headquarters under arrangements permitting the assignment to each chapter, for local war work exclusively, of not more than 25 per cent, of the amount collected within its territory. As a result, 18.5 per cent, of the proceeds of the first "drive" and 19.3 per cent, of the proceeds of the second "drive" were assigned to chapters. The entire amount of the war drive proceeds retained by national headquarters was placed in the War Fund, which could be used only for war relief projects. To this Fund was also credited interest earn- ings to the amount of $2,766,403.54. As a result of this practice, more than $1.01 is available for war relief from every dollar received for that purpose. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 17 £S ^ 6? fe? ^. O O o ° i* 00 O ?^ CO > 9 -: - - O ^ 65 ^ Ji? ^ V3 >-l rt -H »- fO 00 o f^ °° O O i5 r^ -j fel i8 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS All of the proceeds of the two drives were collected by campaign committees except -about $ 10,000,000 contributed direct to the Treasurer of the Red Cross. The table which follows and the map on page 17 present comparisons of contributions to the two drives com- bined, by States: Table 8 COLLECTED CONTRIBUTIONS, FIRST AND SECOND WAR DRIVES COMBINED, WITH COMPARISONS BY STATES February 28, iQig State Collections Per Cent. Per Per Cent. to Total Capita to Wealth $1,564,480.08 .6 I2.00 • IS 14,114,590.99 5-2 3.682 .22 2,090,235.69 .8 3-279 .22 503,222.10 .2 1-374 .10 875,986.16 ■ 3 1.962 •13 6,968,947.95 2.6 5-418 -30 9.775.739-48 3.6 3-173 • 17 69.331.242.69 25-4 6. 511 .28 3,273.524-41 1.2 IS -089 1.06 27,283,990.90 10. 3.101 .18 1,471,045.04 -5 3-927 • 13 2,828,412.77 I.O 2.043 • 13 2,431,848.98 • 9 1.088 .11 1.975.827.30 .7 1-373 •09 1,070,628.27 -4 1. 140 .10 1,632,179.60 .6 0-556 • 07 1,442.430.18 ■5 0.585 .08 1,421,146.56 -5 0.856 .11 2,473,516.85 -9 1 .066 .13 4,768,788.58 1.7 1. 671 .09 2,627,823.14 1.0 1. 091 .12 17.737.755-61 6.5 3-363 .20 15,116,986.97 5-5 2-393 .10 4,190,483.36 1-5 1.884 -05 6,557.562.93 2.4 2.093 .12 3,206,772.98 1 .2 2-473 .08 3,812,260.87 1-4 1-493 .08 1,674,570.22 .6 0.699 .08 2.575.966.94 -9 1-367 .12 1,107,837.74 -4 0.554 .08 1,126,650.89 •4 2.316 .10 5,314.540.13 1-9 2.266 .10 767.235-52 • 3 0.969 .04 565,908.51 .2 0.769 .04 1,591.943-01 .6 0.888 .09 4,669,858.65 1-7 2.492 .10 Maine , Massachusetts . . , Rhode Island . . . , Vermont New Hampshire . , Connecticut . . . , New Jersey . . . . New York Delaware . . . . , Pennsylvania . . . , District of Columbia Maryland Virginia West Virginia . . , Florida Georgia North Carolina . . , South Carolina . . , Tennessee Indiana Kentucky Ohio Illinois Iowa Michigan Nebraska Wisconsin . . ... . Alabama Louisiana Mississippi Montana Minnesota North Dakota . . . South Dakota . . . Arkansas Kansas STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 19 State Missouri Oklahoma Texas Colorado New Mexico Utah Wyoming Idaho Oregon Washington Arizona California Nevada Alaska Insular and foreign places Total Per Cent. Per Collections to Total Capita 9,123,044.48 3-3 2.646 3,072,958.29 I I 1.292 5,256.699.55 I 9 1 .142 3,281,983.86 I 2 3 235 353.814-66 I 0.810 1,161,275.60 4 2.560 640,141.11 2 3 362 984,112.14 4 2. 131 1,972,278.76 7 2.220 3,964,843.37 I 5 2.388 674,978.60 3 2.481 10,274,068 10 3 8 3-294 198,610.17 I 1-731 161,220.43 I 2.177.797.81 8 ^273,239,768.98 100 00 $2,373' Per Cent, to Wealth .16 .07 .08 .14 .07 ■ IS .18 .16 .10 . 12 • 13 .12 .04 ,14' The first war drive was conducted between June 18 and June 25, 1 91 7. The goal set was $100,000,000. Collections totaled $114,023,- 640.23, an over-subscription of fourteen per cent. For campaign and collection expenses national headquarters appropriated $278,114,27, and it is estimated that the chapters spent $500,000 for this purpose; costs, therefore, were less than seven-tenths of one cent for each dollar collected. The second war drive was conducted between May 20 and May 27, 1918. Again the goal set was $100,000,000. Up to February 28, 1919, collections totaled $169,575,598.84, an over-subscription of nearly seventy per cent. (It is estimated that when all collections have been received the total will exceed $175,000,000, an over-subscription of more than seventy-five per cent.) Campaign and collection expenses totaled approximately $1 ,000,000 — less than six- tenths of one Cent for each dollar collected. It is estimated that more than 43,000,000 people contributed to the second war drive. Indicating that interest in the work of the American Red Cross is not confined to continental United States, substantial contributions were received from our insular possessions and from foreign countries, as shown by the following table: ' Not including insular and foreign places and Alaska. 20 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Table g COLLECTIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, FIRST AND SECOND WAR DRIVES Argentina $316,347.29 Brazil 109,719.99 Canal Zone 57,849.98 Chile 172,702.21 China 97,020.47 Cuba 242,382.4s Hawaii 490,931.25 Japan 60,650.00 Mexico 92,654.73 Panama 17,391.50 Peru 37.760.36 Philippine Islands 206,522.35 Porto Rico • • • 118,649.87 Santo Domingo 78,196.33 Uruguay 112,797.52 Other foreign countries 86,084.79 Total* $2, 297,661. 09 ' Includes contributions made direct to the Treasurer of the Red Cross. Ill WORK IN THE UNITED STATES GENERAL The field covered by this chapter includes a large number of distinct, important activities. Certain activities were conducted almost entirely by the chapters. Others were responsibilities of forces which reported to divisional and national headquarters. In all lines of work there was an intimate relationship between the local and central parts of the organization. In carrying on the activities that fell to them, chapters applied the general policies worked out at national headquarters and were aided by supervision extended by their divisional headquarters. There is, therefore, no clean-cut dividing line between work done by chapters and work done by the national and divisional organizations. There are, however, certain activities in which chapters played a pre- dominant part, and these may be placed in a group as related activi- ties. Likewise, activities in which the national and divisional organiza- tion played a predominant part may be placed in another group. This plan has been applied in the sections that follow, and, within the two major groups, each important line of work is discussed separately. CHAPTER ACTIVITIES Production of Relief A Hides Eight million chapter women, with the help of many of the junior members, produced in the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, over 371,500,000 relief articles, with a value of nearly $94,000,000, for the benefit of American and Allied soldiers and sailors and destitute civilians. For all of this work standards, designs and patterns were set by national headquarters. There, too, quantities to be produced were fixed and allotted to divisions and by the divisions to chapters. Mate- rials were ordered through a central point and distributed to chapters 22 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Forei gn T>istribution ■|B|ll|ii| 50,000.000 45.000.000 •40.000.000 35 .000,000 30.000.000 25.000.000 20.000,000 15.000.000 10.000,000 5.000,000 Fran c e Siberia ^^^ Other Foreign . . I I Is 'o Foreign I>istribation Domestic' W^^M, Distribution ^^H fin ihe United States) Balance in r I Di\Asion Warehouses 1 I Februarij 28,1^1^ Diagram 2. Value and distribution, by classes, of chapter-produced articles. Twenty months ending February 28, iQig STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 23 through divisional warehouses. By these and similar measures, every effort was made to have the entire work handled effectively. The table given below presents a classified list showing the quanti- ties and estimated values of these chapter-produced articles. The values given are conservative, representing only the cost of the material plus an allowance for labor at the rate of fifteen cents per hour on the time required by an average worker. Thus, for the total production value of approximately $93,978,000, $61,062,000 represents material and $32,916,000 represents labor. Table 10 CLASSIFICATION OF RELIEF SUPPLIES PRODUCED BY CHAPTER WORKERS Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Surgical dressings Hospital garments Hospital supplies Refugee garments Articles for soldiers and sailors Unclassified articles .... Total Quantity 306,966,759 17,462,400 14,211,439 6,328,982 23,328,831 3,279,053 371. 577. 464 Value $14,637,909.35 22,969,585.59 5,966,854.20 7.779.055-73 41,858,274.72 766,316.30 $93,977,995-89 The greater part of these chapter-produced articles was sent over- seas, as shown in the following table: Table 11 DISTRIBUTION OF CHAPTER-PRODUCED RELIEF SUPPLIES Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Shipped to France $38,059,137-35 Shipped elsewhere overseas 12,527,036.26 Sent to camps in the United States 28,997,721.43 Balance on hand, February 28, 1919 14,394,100.85 Total $93,977,995-89 The value and distribution, by classes, of these supplies is presented graphically in Diagram 2 on the opposite page. Map 5 on page 24 presents a comparison between the thirteen Red Cross territorial divisions on the basis of value of produced articles per chapter member. 24 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS t^ (» ^- ^ ^ STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 25 In addition to the production of Red Cross supplies, the Red Cross, through the chapter workers, undertook to make a great many special relief articles required by the Surgeon General of the Army, the Gov- ernment providing the raw materials, the Red Cross returning finished articles (without charge). Under this arrangement, 22,637,625 articles were produced with a total value of $3,334,000. The most important single activity of the junior members of the Red Cross was the part they took in producing relief articles. Their work in this connection was not confined to the standard articles made by chapter women, but extended to making furniture, games, splints and other hospital appliances, and specially prepared foods. It opened fields of service to boys as well as to girls. That the children played an important part is indicated first, by the fact that their production represented about ten per cent, of the whole, and second, by the following table presenting a list, with quantities and values, of the things they produced: Table 12 CLASSIFlfeD LIST OF RELIEF ARTICLES PRODUCED BY THE JUNIOR RED CROSS Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Surgical dressings Hospital supplies Hospital garments Refugee garments Articles for soldiers and sailors Sewing for convalescent and nurses' houses . Sewing for camps Furniture for convalescent and nurses' houses Furniture for Army Miscellaneous furniture Total Quantity Value (Pieces) 6.057,720 I363.463.20 2,574.564 772,369.20 444.776 578,208.80 - 1,130,188 1,808,300.80 3,174.999 5,238,748.35 138,345 69,172.50 1,444.507 722,253.50 70,084 404,384.68 666,445 193.341-33 20,450 2,219.60 15,722,078 110,152,461.96 Home Service — Work for the Families of Soldiers and Sailors There was a common French saying during the war which ran, "We will win if the civilians hold out." The home service work of the Red Cross was developed to help in every way possible the families of 26 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS soldiers and sailors, and, by preventing trouble and sorrow as far as it could be prevented, to affect helpfully the morale of the men in camps and overseas. The problems presented to home service workers are as numerous and varied as there are causes for human worry. Perhaps the children are sick, or the landlords are harsh, or employment is needed, or money is required to bridge a temporary need. It may be that discharged soldiers and sailors need a helping hand. Perhaps the family is con- tented, but wants information concerning allotments, allowances. Army regulations or something else. Whatever the problem, the Red Cross home service section is very willing to help. Meeting these and thousands of similar problems is the "home service" task. During the month of February, i9i»9,A;he Red Cross handled 297,000 home service "cases," i. e., instances where services were rendered or information was given to families. It is estimated that home service extended to 500,000 families during the period covered by this report. The growth of home service work from February, 191 8 to February, 1919, is shown graphically in Diagram 3, below. II 'O <=> Cases m Which families Were furnished information "^^ os on (T, ..OP. =^ — 2U CNl .V ^^^^ Cfj ■U- ^H Cases in which families Were rendered service § ^ e»l 1 1 c^ 1 — V,- r-?r-i ^ ■=> "^ ^'** 1 « # ^. s5 . s ^ h- 1 1 1 -> Si as 2i 1 * ^ Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug Sept. Oct. JVhv: Dec , ,Jan. Feb., \\ 1 1918 J ?JS ) J Diagram 3. Home service rendered to families of soldiers and sailors, February, 1918, to February, 1919 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 27 Money expended in this work is no measure of the work done, far less of its value. While thousands of families were helped financially, the greatest help was in the personal services rendered by the workers. Nevertheless, up to February 28, 1919, the chapters had spent $8,790,- 000 on this work, while national headquarters expended $1,204,730.61 in operating the civilian relief bureaus in headquarters' cities through which the home service sections were organized, the workers trained, the work developed and supervised and many matters attended to that could not be handled locally. At the start of home service work, the chief difficulty was to provide trained workers. The supply was limited to those chapter workers who could enter a home and really assist the family without undermin- ing self-respect or the ability for self-support, and who could spare the time for the work. To train new workers, home service institutes were organized by the divisions, and courses were given through the chap- ters. In both the institute and the chapter courses the training con- sisted of class-room study and actual field work in home service. With these trained workers as a nucleus, home service sections were established within the chapters. On February 28, 1919, there were 3,618 sections with 11,190 branches and with 50,000 workers devoting all or part of their time to the work. Practically every square mile in continental United States is now covered by home service sections, the distribution of which by States is shown by Map 6, on the following page. Canteen Service The Red Cross canteen service was developed to give supplementary food, or complete meals, to moving troops, as well as to distribute other articles that would relieve the tedium of the journey; also to render personal services to both sick and well troops en route to and from camps and points of embarkation. Many canteens were equipped with rest and reading rooms, shower baths, etc. On November i, 191 8, just before the armistice, there were 55,000 canteen workers and 700 canteens. The location of the canteens is indicated by Map 7 on page 30. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, more than 587,000 men who were ill or injured were given medical aid that en- abled them to proceed on their journey, while 9,700 men who were too ill to travel were transferred to hospitals. 28 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS ... r' . • .. ; pJ-r--^:-H— . — -•—-3 ••::*.>)"-:]r.*;. •.•"!.'• . •/ • •'J-'^' * . • I. • ?• --v ..' 1 S 2^ ^ On STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 29 In the same period, refreshments were served 40,000,000 times. In other words, each of the soldiers, sailors and marines in the service of the United States during the war was served with free refreshments by the Red Cross canteen workers on an average of eight times. A classi- fication of the men receiving Red Cross canteen service is given below: Table 13 REFRESHMENTS SERVED FREE BY RED CROSS CANTEENS IN U.S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQ19 Soldiers 35.952,597 Sailors 2,423,408 Marines 356,195 Drafted men 1,216,533 Total 39,948,733 A list of the more important items distributed by the canteens fol- lows: Table 14 SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED FREE BY RED CROSS CANTEENS IN U.S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Food Candy . 499,059 (lbs.) Chocolate 5,604,349 (bars) Coffee 1,497,096 (gals.) Cookies, doughnuts, pies 10,852,352 Fruit 162,845 (bu.) Icecream 50,117 (qts.) Iced drinks 144,059 (gals.) Lunches 769,368 Meals 794,112 Sandwiches 14,824,869 Other supplies Cigarettes 70,518,141 Cigars 185,632 Gum 2,039,331 Magazines 2,225,835 Matches 7,968,829 Newspapers 584,752 Post cards 15,956,219 Soap, cakes 77.771 Telegrams sent 21,920 Tobacco ■ 108,949 (lbs.) Towels, paper 158,261 30 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS •• * ..j V. ;. i::*/.«.-Vi-^*__A''^-M -•.x.^._.i.;_ r . ^:-' — I S STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 3I Motor Corps Service The Red Cross motor service was developed to render supplementary aid to the Army and Navy in transporting troops and supplies, and to assist other Red Cross workers in conducting their various relief activi- ties. The service is composed of a number of chapter motor corps, consisting of volunteer women who give at least sixteen hours a week of their time. Although this activity was commenced early in the war, it did not grow to large size until the summer and fall of 191 8. On November i, 1918, there were over 12,000 motor corps workers, most of whom were donating not only their time, but also the use of their cars. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, a mileage of more than 3,572,000 miles was covered by the automobiles operated by the motor corps. The diverse character of the work during this period is indicated below: Table IS HOURS OF SERVICE OF RED CROSS MOTOR CORPS WORKERS IN U. S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Canteen work 65,079 Military hospitals 193.954 Camps and cantonments 57. 072 Home service workers 104,858 Outside aid 80,256 Other A. R. C. activities 223,044 Office detail 110,484 Miscellaneous (including influenza epidemic) 246,946 Total 1.081,693 Red Cross Work in Spanish Influenza Epidemic The activities of chapters are a myriad. The work touched on in the preceding sections of this chapter has all been of a distinctly war character. However, even during the war period the tasks regularly assumed during peace times were not ignored. While these tasks are too numerous to be mentioned in this report, an illustration of the type of work that chapters undertake aside from the special obliga- tions of a war nature, may be given by citing the Red Cross work dur- ing the Spanish influenza epidemic. The Red Cross threw all its available resources into the common fight against this disease. Hospitals were furnished equipment and 32 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS supplies, and assisted in every possible way. Convalescent houses and diet kitchens were established and operated, and food and other neces- sary supplies were distributed. More than 18,000 nurses and other workers were furnished by the Red Cross chapters to care for the sick. Countless face masks were made and distributed. The motor corps helped substantially. The entire national organization worked as an active auxiliary of the United States Public Health Service. Up to February 28, 1919, while the disease was still active, about two million dollars had been expended by the organization in its work. Instruction in First Aid The object of the Red Cross instruction in first aid given through chapters is to teach men and women how to render emergency assis- tance when injuries occur and a physician is not at hand. During the period covered by this report 5,728 classes were held and instruction in first aid was given by 2,864 teachers and examiners. 63,008 students completed the course, passed the examination, and were given the Red Cross first aid certificates. ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL AND DIVISIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Nursing Service The Red Cross nursing service might well be termed the epitome of the Red Cross as a whole. Always one of the most important branches of the organization, its importance is greatly enhanced with the coming of war. During the war period, its principal task was to secure and equip trained nurses for the Army and Navy. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, 23,822 nurses were enrolled as Red Cross nurses. Of these, 19,931 nurses were assigned to active duty with the Army, Navy, United States Public Health Service and the Red Cross overseas service. Of the number of nurses assigned, 17,986 went to the Army, 1,058 to the Navy, 284 to the United States Public Health Service, and 603 to the overseas service of the Red Cross. Over eighty per cent, of the nurses in the Army Nurse Corps, and over sixty per cent, of those in the Navy Nurse Corps, were mobilized by the Red Cross. In addition to the numbers mentioned above 1,177 nurses who were not able to undertake active overseas service were enrolled as home defense nurses. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 33 Vitally related to the above was the enrolment of 2,248 nurses' aids, i.e., women with a practical knowledge of nursing, and the enrolment of 2,558 dietitians. While the war phase of the nursing work naturally had first interest during the war period, peace-time activities were not overlooked. Public health nursing, which involves community nurses whose duty it is to perform nursing and other public health services within the territory assigned to them, and which promises to be one of the largest peace-time activities of the organization, was continually developed. Communities are encouraged to employ such workers and the Red Cross trains, recruits and assigns qualified nurses for this work. A great deal of educational work is done, and nurses are helped to obtain the necessary special training by scholarships, loans, etc. Considerable progress was made in the teaching of home hygiene and care of the sick, and home dietetics — also important branches of the regular nursing service work. In the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, over 5,000 classes were held in home hygiene and care of the sick in which 80,000 students were enrolled and over 60,000 certified upon the completion of the courses; over 500 classes were held in home dietetics, and more than 4,500 students certified. Approximately $3,500,000 was appropriated during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, for carrying on the various phases of the nursing service work in the United States. A single item con- sisted of an appropriation of more than $3,000,000 for equipment of nurses who were sent into overseas service. The operation of the nurs- ing bureaus at national and divisional headquarters which direct and carry on all of the work described above cost approximately $465,000. Camp Service It is believed that through its "camp service" the Red Cross helped in some way practically every soldier, sailor and marine in the service of the United States. This activity, the object of which was to assist the Army and Navy authorities to promote the well-being of soldiers and sailors in the United States, involved the distribution of comfort articles, the render- ing of service to men in hospitals, the operation of a communication service between men and their families and other work of a similar nature. The operations of the camp service have extended to 339 camps, hospitals and other military and naval establishments in the United 34 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS States. The places where this service was conducted are shown in Map 8 below. To perform the duties assigned to it, the Red Cross found it necessary to construct a number of buildings in the various military and naval establishments. Up to February 28, 1919, 250 buildings were erected, Map 8. 339 military and naval stations in U. S. where camp service was conducted including ninety-two convalescent houses where soldiers and sailors on the road to recovery could pass their leisure time and find recreation, and sixty-one nurses' houses where nurses could rest and amuse them- selves when not at work. Obviously, the good accomplished by these houses cannot be measured statistically, but a classified list of such houses follows: Table 16 RED CROSS BUILDINGS IN CAMPS IN U. S. February 28, 1919 Convalescent houses 92 Nurses' houses 61 Headquarters 45 Warehouses 14 Garages 28 Other 10 Total 250 The buildings and equipment cost approximately $3,000,000. One of the principal services rendered by the Red Cross in camps was the free distribution of comfort articles and other similar supplies. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 35 These supplies were often given out at the specific request of com- manding officers who had found that certain articles were needed and needed quickly by their men. Supplies were not distributed without the permission of the commanding officer. Approximately 2,700 kinds of articles were distributed free. A list of some of the principal articles distributed follows: Table 17 SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES DISTRIBUTED FREE IN CAMPS AND HOSPITALS IN U. S. BY THE RED CROSS Twenty Bags, laundry, etc. . . Bags, hot water .... Blankets Books Candy Canned fruits and vege- tables Chairs, invalid .... Chewing gum Chocolate Chocolate bars .... Christmas packages . . Cigarettes 8, Cigars Coat hangers Comforters and quilts . Comfort kits and bags . Combs Crutches Cups, paper drinking Envelopes 3, Fans, palm leaf .... Fly swatters Front line parcels . . . Games, checkers, card games, etc Gloves Handkerchiefs .... Jackets Jam and jelly ..... Knitted articles: Afghans Helmets Mufflers Socks 3, Sweaters 4, Wristlets i. Other knitted articles Months Binding February 28, 1919 343.960 1,126 77.879 59.780 14.701 (lbs.) 5,445 (cans) 1,907 38,461 (pkgs.) 2,839 (lbs.) 90,375 616,884 746,297 22,930 22,035 68,984 963.605 34.249 1.233 844,930 .502,247 5.722 7.813 27,887 160,293 182,611 (prs.) 355.191 25.654 63,106 (cans) 7.142 985,841 901,830 592,126 (prs.) 208,935 199,420 3.801 Magazines Masks, contagious . . . Masks, operating . . . Musical instruments: Pianos Phonographs .... Other musical instru- ments Olives Oranges Overshoes Pajamas Pencils Pillows Pillow cases Pipes Razors Razor blades, safety . . Robes, bath, convales- cent, etc Scrap books Shaving soap Shaving brushes .... Sheets, bed Shirts Slippers Soap Soap, liquid Socks, cotton, bed, etc. . Surgical dressings . . . Surgical instruments . . Tobacco . Tooth brushes .... Tooth paste and powder Towels, hand Towels, dish Toweling, yards .... Writing paper .... Writing paper .... 14.324 1.399.785 15.037 31 61S 131 24 (gals.) 26,316 28,233 (prs.) 1,188,062 (suits) 23,680 55.749 98,078 16,351 19.971 19,010 65,224 14.651 40,349 17.414 154.693 29.389 45.618 138,500 2,380 57.619 661,676 5.995 64,836 223,414 25.237 278,958 60,939 1. 513 6,307.074 477.353 (prs.) (cakes) (gals.) (prs.) (pkgs.) (pkgs.) (pkgs.) (shts.) (tabs.) 36 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS In a sense, the most important phase of camp service consisted of the work done for sick and wounded men in the military hospitals in this country. The task was one of personal service — doing the thousand and one things that the regular hospital staff could not possibly do. As far as possible, each patient was visited every day. The following table presents statistically a record of a few of the services performed : Table i8 HOSPITAL SERVICES IN U. S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, ipig Visits to sick in wards 2,539,907 Telegrams sent 54,709 Home service cases 42,483 Sheets writing paper issued 6,052,037 Post cards issued 284,227 Tablets issued 120,006 Stamps issued 759.507 Entertainment given 7,976 Among their other duties the Red Cross representatives in camps and hospitals handle what are known as "home service cases." Thou- sands of situations arise in which soldiers and sailors become worried about their home affairs; they tell their troubles to the Red Cross representative, and he communicates with the local chapter workers who do their best to straighten out the difficulties. It sometimes happens that the domestic situation of a soldier or sailor becomes so critical as to make a furlough or even a discharge advisable. In such cases the Red Cross representative ascertains the true situation through home service channels, and communicates with the command- ing officer. Following is a record of this work: Table ig HOME SERVICE CASES IN CAMPS IN U. S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Furlough investigations , 21,373 Discharge investigations 19,298 Home service cases 173,845 It was often both a necessity and a privilege to make small loans to men in camps in great need because of temporary financial worries. Loans were restricted to legitimate causes, and were made with ap- proval of commanding officers to boys called home by critical illness of STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 37 mother or other close relatives, to casuals or men invalided home from overseas whose pay was in arrears, to assist men commissioned from the ranks in securing outfits, etc. Up to February 28, 1919, 25,803 loans were made, amounting to over $325,000. All of the Red Cross work in each camp or hospital was carried on by a field director, aided by assistants, home service and hospital workers etc. On February 28, 1919, 1,584 people were engaged in the work. Camp service work in the United States, taken all together, required expenditures aggregating about $38,000,000 during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919. Of this, about $6,000,000 went to purchase supplies and for all other cash expenditures, about $29,000,000 repre- sents the value of chapter-produced supplies sent to the camps for distribution and about $3,000,000 was used in constructing buildings. The operation of the military relief bureaus at national and divisional headquarters which developed and supervised all of this work, as well as related activities, cost a little less than $570,000. Mention may also be made in this connection of contributions aggregating $300,000 to the (Federal) Commission on Training Camp Activities — organized by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy for work involving recreation and health of American soldiers and sailors. Map g. 37 Red Cross sanitary units in U. S., February 2S, 1919 38 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Sanitary Service Closely related to the camp service just described is the Red Cross sanitary service, embracing sanitary units, made up of bacteriologists, sanitary engineers and inspectors, Red Cross public health nurses, other trained workers and laborers, which assisted Federal, State and local authorities in securing sanitary conditions in the civil districts surrounding or adjacent to cantonments, camps and naval bases. There were thirty-seven such units, covering in their work approxi- mately 1,200 square miles, and located as shown on Map 9 on the preceding page. Perhaps the most vital part of the work of these units was in helping to blot out certain diseases and in preventing the spread of others. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, 391,756 anti- typhoid inoculations and 153,543 smallpox vaccinations were made. The extent of the anti-malaria work during the same period is indicated by the following figures: Table 20 RED CROSS SANITARY SERVICE IN THE PREVENTION OF MALARIA IN U. S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Area of malarial control operations (square miles) 749 Oil drip stations in operation 881 Gallons oil distributed 279,093 Miles new ditches constructed 1.706 Miles other ditches cleared 1,800 The helpfulness of the sanitary inspection work which formed part of the program is suggested by the table that follows : Table 21 RED CROSS SANITARY INSPECTIONS Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Supervision of water supplies Local water supplies inspected 13,448 Water supplies found to be polluted 3.043 Bacteriological examinations made 16,180 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 39 Inspection of food supplies Restaurants and meat markets inspected 145,869 Restaurants closed 787 Dairies Inspection of dairies 22,795 Dairies inspected 7>454 Cows tested for tuberculosis 29,504 Cows found infected 373 Physical examinations of dairy employees and food handlers 62,719 Disposal of sewerage and garbage Sewerage Rural homes visited and inspected 80,892 Vaults constructed i3.490 Sanitary privies installed 36.097 Garbage Premises inspected 282,348 The work described above required 194,250 bacteriological labora- tory examinations. Closely related to this laboratory work was the work of four mobile (railway car) laboratories which were equipped to assist when epidemics threatened Army or Navy camps. Up to Feb- ruary 28, 1919, these cars had answered nine emergency calls and treated 8,276 cases. To assist in blotting out the so-called "social diseases" near camps and cantonments, the units operated twenty-eight dispensaries and treated over 40,000 cases. The public health nursing phases of the sanitary work deserve special note because of the important part such work is destined to play here- after; its extent and nature are indicated below: Table 22 PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING WITHIN SANITARY ZONES Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQIQ Visits made by nursing personnel New patients visited 53.6i8 Nursing visits 90,602 Instruction visits 104,818 School visits 21,094 Follow-up visits 73. 811 Total nursing visits 343.943 School medical inspection Schools where inspection work was done S62 Children examined 229,030 Children found defective 81,983 Corrections reported 4.389 40 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The entire sanitary service work of the Red Cross during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, cost a Uttle less than |6oo,ooo. Communication Work Throughout the war the Bureau of Communication at national headquarters answered requests for information concerning American soldiers and sailors sent in by relations and friends from over 600,000 American homes. It had 400 searchers in France, one with every division and one at every American base hospital. It required over 300 workers at national headquarter. More than 100,000 letters a week went through this Bureau. The entire cost of operating this Bureau and the Bureau working along similar Hues for prisoners of war was, during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, $184,324.53. Disaster Relief Relief of sufferers in disasters has always been a function of the Red Cross. Many calls for this kind of relief were met during the war period, but it is possible to make only brief mention of the work in this report. During the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, assistance was rendered in twenty-five major disasters, twenty in the United States and five abroad. The range included such occurrences as the Halifax and Perth Amboy explosions, the Minnesota forest fires, Tien Tsin flood, etc. A classified list is given below: Table 23 CLASSIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL DISASTERS IN WHICH THE RED CROSS RENDERED AID Twenty Months Ending February 28, igiQ Fires 7 Storms, cyclones, and tornadoes 6 Earthquakes 4 Floods 3 Explosions 3 Wreck i Race riot i Total 25 For disaster relief work, nearly $1,500,000 was set aside by national headquarters and the chapters. STATEMENT OFACCOMPLISHMENT 4I Life-Saving Work Instruction in life-saving is one of the less known but nevertheless important activities of the Red Cross in the United States. In order to reduce the large annual loss by drowning, the Red Cross employs a life-saving expert who gives lectures and demonstrations throughout the country and organizes life-saving corps among local groups such as municipal police departments and branches of the Y. M. C. A. Dur- ing the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, 191,108 were in- structed in life-saving practices. Organization of Base Hospitals An important activity of the Red Cross during the first months of the war was organizing and equipping base hospitals for service with the Army and Navy. The necessary personnel was usually recruited from the staffs of civil hospitals in the larger cities. Altogether fifty- eight base hospitals were organized, fifty for the Army and eight for the Navy ; forty-seven of these were equipped by Red Cross chapters with complete outfits of beds, beddings, surgical instruments and other supplies and accessories, all of which were presented to the Govern- ment when the units were mustered in. Of the total, fifty-four served overseas, and four in this country. In connection with this work, the Red Cross enrolled, in addition to nurses, orderlies, etc., 2,489 physicians and fifty chaplains for service with the forces of the United States. The chapters of the Red Cross spent, in round figures, $3,000,000 in equipping such hospitals. In addition, national headquarters made a number of appropriations to meet special needs of the hospitals, in- cluding replacements of outfits and instruments lost at sea, storage and assembling charges, special instruments and equipment and contin- gency funds out of which special foods, etc., could be provided for invalids. Organization of Ambulance Companies Another and somewhat similar task undertaken for the Surgeon Gen- eral of the Army involved recruiting and organizing personnel into ambulance companies. Forty-seven such companies were organized by the Red Cross, with a personnel of 4,760 men. After bringing these men together and instructing them in first-aid, the Red Cross turned them over to the Army and they were at once mustered into the service. All companies saw service overseas. In a few instances 42 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS equipment was provided by the Red Cross but usually by the Army. The equipment for these companies included 564 ambulances and 141 trucks. A directly related service consisted in the securing of contributions for, and purchasing of, several hundred ambulances which were sent overseas for use with the hospitals conducted by the Red Cross and in supplementing the Army's ambulance service. Approximately $250,000 was contributed and expended in this way. Other Medical and Hospital Work While the work done in organizing base hospitals and ambulance companies embraced the largest single tasks along hospital and medical lines that the Red Cross performed in the United States, the many other activities undertaken in the same general fields are illus- trative of the part it played in supplementing the work of the Federal authorities. The number of such supplementary activities is so large that it is practicable to name only certain of the more important, as follows: providing for costs of training reconstruction workers; equipment of workshop for re-educating crippled soldiers ; equipping mobile operat- ing unit; contribution to aid in providing free dental service to re- cruits first rejected because of dental troubles; allowance for expenses, enabling United States Army physicians to attend professional con- ventions; providing repairs to and supplies for hospital operated in Virgin Islands by United States Navy for natives, etc. Mention may also be made in this connection of a contribution of $2,500,000 to the National Tuberculosis Association in support of the national anti-tuberculosis work carried on by that Association. Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men This Institute assists the Government in its problems of re-educating crippled and disabled soldiers. The work of the Institute has, of course, been supplementary to that of the Government, but it has in- volved such important activities as making studies concerning the accomplishments of other countries in the field of rehabilitation, indus- trial surveys determining trades for cripples, training teachers, training disabled men, and securing employment for cripples in various lines of industry. A large general educational work has been done to teach cripples of the possibilities through training, to interest employers, and to further public interest. About seven million pamphlets have been issued and over 300 lectures given in this connection. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 43 Up to February 28, 1919, nearly $265,000 was appropriated for operating this Institution. The comprehensiveness of the field covered by the 542 industrial surveys which have been made is evidenced by the fact that 1,500 factories and 100 trade associations (national or local) have been visited and the names listed of 1,000 firms, embracing fifty trades, which are willing to employ cripples. The results secured by such work have an obvious value for civilian as well as military cripples. Red Cross Institute for the Blind This Institute was organized at the request of the Surgeon General of the Army to cooperate with General Hospital No. 7 and the Federal Board for Vocational Education in caring for blind soldiers and sailors. Its work has included industrial surveys, evolving courses of instruc- tion and providing recreational facilities such as entertainments and libraries of books with raised type. Toward the close of the period covered by this report it was decided that this Institute would be responsible for the entire problem of feeding, housing and training the blind of the American Expeditionary Forces. The Red Cross thus became charged with the care of over 125 blind soldiers and sailors, whom it undertook to train in many special courses. To February 28, 1919, $173,961.66 had been appropriated to carry on the work of the Red Cross Institute for the Blind. Supplies Operations in the United States The Department of Supplies at national headquarters, with branches in all divisions, was responsible for all centralized purchasing, operation of divisional and port warehouses, and transportation arrangements both within the United States and to overseas points. The size of its task is indicated by the following table: Table 24 SUPPLIES TRANSACTIONS IN U. S. Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Cost of raw materials shipped to chapters to be made up into relief supplies $31,800,000 Estimated approximate value of finished relief supplies received from chapters 94,000,000 Relief supplies purchased for shipment to camps in this country 4,600,000 Purchased supplies shipped to A. R. C. commissions overseas (excluding chapter-produced articles) 31,000,000 Total $161,400,000 44 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The cost of conducting the entire Department including divisional and port warehouses was, during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, $5,530,346. If this amount is measured against the supply transactions shown above, it will be seen that the percentage ratio of operating expense to transactions is three and four-tenths per cent. Transportation in the United States on relief supplies cost the Red Cross over $2,400,000, $290,000 of which was borne by the chapters, the balance by national headquarters. Nearly $1,750,000 was appropriated for insuring goods shipped over- seas against war and marine risk. The value of purchased goods shipped overseas up to February 28, 1919, was over $31,000,000. If the value of chapter-produced articles were added, the amount would be increased by more than $50,000,000, so that overseas shipments exceeded eighty millions of dollars. Large purchases, aggregating millions of dollars, were also made in various parts of Europe. Value 'Percent of total Foodstuffs ^g.goo.ooo I i 31-73 Clothing 4.600.000 I 1 14-74 Textiles 4,600,000 \ 1 , '14-74 IBlanXets 3.500.000 1 I 11-22 Wis cell aneous 3,500.000 I 1 11-22 Motor '[Chicles and JVTachJnes 2., 100. 000 ^B 6-73 Surcfical Instruments and Supplies 1.500.000 ^H 4- si Hospital Supplies, i.ioo.ooo H 3-53 Dru^s 300.000 i -96 Jobber Goods 100.000 I -32 Diagram 4. Purchased supplies shipped overseas for Red Cross work, classified by kind and value. Twenty months ending February 28, igig STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 45 Following is a table showing for all supplies, including chapter- produced articles, the tonnage shipped to the several countries in- volved, and on page 44 (Diagram 4) purchased supplies shipped over- seas are classified by kind and value. Table 25 TONS OF SUPPLIES SHIPPED FROM U. S. OVERSEAS FOR RED CROSS WORK Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig (Tons of 2,000 pounds) American prisoners of war 1,207 Balkans (as a whole) S.79i England 2,930 France 52,000 Italy 16,992 Palestine 1,118 Russia S.842 Serbian prisoners of war 10,238 Siberia 3.Sii Miscellaneous 1.465 Total 101,094 » Personnel The workers in chapters are counted by the million, and practically all are volunteers. On February 28, 1919, the forces comprising na- tional and divisional headquarters, overseas workers, etc. aggregated 14,625 people. Of these 1,921 were volunteers and 12,704 paid workers. Table 26 on pages 46 and 47 shows the location of these workers, with classified salaries to the extent paid. The amounts paid a very large proportion of the "paid workers" represented what were in effect "living" or expense allowances. The noticeably small number of substantial salaries is due, of course, to the fact that practically all of the most important posts were filled by volunteers — the exceptions being spe- cialists whose resources would not permit of their serving without remuneration. • This table does not include the large quantities of supplies purchased in Europe. 46 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Table 26 SCHEDULE OF PERSONNEL AND SALARIES OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION February 28, IQIQ $600 $600 $1,000 |i,5oc $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $4,000 or to to to to to to to Less $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 National headquarters . . . 86 321 551 70 45 41 24 12 Total all divisions 191 1,318 1,117 223 123 41 63 20 Other locations in U. S. Camp service 84 189 309 206 52 5 5 Sanitary service 10 16 100 10 Port warehouses 3 21 57 6 3 I I Institute for Blind .... 2 4 2 I 2 Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men 2 16 21 17 4 3 I I Red Cross Magazine . . . 3 3 6 I I I 3 5 Total other locations in U. S 102 247 497 242 61 ID 12 6 Total in United States . 379 1,886 2,165 535 229 92 99 38 Foreign commissions Commission to France . . 1,260 1,150 1. 175 1,200 64 126 48 20 Commission to Italy . . . 219 94 154 69 46 16 9 3 Commission to Great Britain 218 253 71 66 6 19 I 4 Commission to Switzerland 14 19 3 29 6 3 I I Other foreign 179 136 75 29 47 287 79 29 Total foreign commissions 1,890 1-652 1,478 1.393 169 451 138 57 Grand total 2,269 3.538 3.643 1,928 398 543 237 95 Table 26 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT SCHEDULE OF PERSONNEL AND SALARIES OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION — Continued February 28, igig 47 SS.ooo to 16,000 $6,000 to S7.800 $7,800 to $10,000 $10,000 to $15,000 Total Volun- teers Grand Total National headquarters . . . 3 3 3 I 5 I 1,162 67 442 1,229 Total all divisions 3,100 3.542 Other locations in U. S. Camp service 850 207 1.057 Sanitary service 136 97 233 Port warehouses 92 92 Institute for Blind .... 3 14 20 34 Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men I 66 4 70 Red Cross Magazine . . . — - I - 24 24 Total other locations in U. S 4 10 4 I 6 I 1,182 328 1. 510 Total in United States . 5.444 837 6,281 Foreign commissions Commission to France . . 15 5.058 802 5,860 Commission to Italy . . . 4 614 36 650 Commission to Great Britain 3 641 240 881 Commission to Svi^itzerland 76 76 Other foreign 10 32 42 4 6 I 871 6 1,084 877 Total foreign commissions 7,260 8.344 Grand total 12,704 1,921 14,625 The Administrative Organization in the United States Behind all of the work described in the preceding pages, and sup- porting all overseas work outlined in the chapters which follow, there are the directing or "business" parts of the organization, comprising together what may well be termed "management forces." This group includes general and divisional management staff and financial, ac- counting, development, etc., bureaus. Its main tasks are to establish general policies, coordinate the work of all parts of the organization, and to attend to its business affairs. 48 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The results of the work of this part of the organization do not lend themselves to statistical measurement. Perhaps the best measurement would be that based on a judgment of the Red Cross work as a whole, in that this is the field influenced. The cost of operating all management or administration bureaus in national and divisional headquarters during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, was $4,359,758.03. Following are certain compari- sons based on this cost : Of each dollar received, one and seven-tenths cents was spent for "management." The percentage ratio of "management" to "relief" was one and eight- tenths per cent.^° 1" This ratio is based on detailed computations, the basis of which is set forth specifically in published financial reports. IV WORK IN FRANCE GENERAL The mere recording of the definite services embraced in the Red Cross work in France will never approximate the story of what that work meant or of its results and value. This report is limited to the stating of facts. It must be hoped that the imagination of the reader, with the definite record before him, will translate the facts into a story wherein life and death and humanity play the part that they did in the work. The Red Cross went to France to render service. This end was never lost sight of. It was controlling in all emergencies; indeed, the whole work was of an emergency nature. Formality or binding rou- tine had no place. There was no time for elaborate statistical tabula- tion of work done. Statistics are lacking in many lines of work. Nevertheless, enough statistics are available to suggest the range and comprehensiveness not only of the particular lines covered, but of the work as a whole. No doubt certain statistics are incomplete, due to the conditions under which they were prepared, but they are never too large. France was at once the seat of the most important theatre of war, the location of most of the American troops in overseas service, and the country whose civilians had suffered most keenly from the war. As a result, it was also the seat of the most important operations of the Red Cross during the war. In that country, the war had vitally affected every family in every village. In doing its work, the Red Cross found it necessary to pene- trate into every section of the land. Map lo, on page 50, shows the locations of the Red Cross operations in France. Cash appropriated for the work in France during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, aggregated over $57,000,000. To this may be added $38,000,000 representing the value of chapter-produced relief supplies shipped to France, making a total of $95,000,000 for 50 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 5I the twenty months' work in that country. The table that follows shows by major classifications of work how the total amount appropriated for cash expenditure was used : Table 27 APPROPRIATIONS FOR CASH EXPENDITURE IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQIQ Canteens and rest stations $3,162,916.83 General services for American Expeditionary Forces 11,349,970.42 Care of refugees 9,225,806.34 Care of children 3. 013. 505-93 Medical and surgical service 3. 7ii. 783-55 Hospital supply service 2,143,697.45 Tuberculosis relief 2,372,619.61 Surgical dressing stations 3,311,017.84 Nursing service 1,239,292.58 Aid to disabled soldiers 623,746.23 Relief of French soldiers' families 3,825,971.03 Aid to French Red Cross 1,751,493.69 Transport service 5,298,663.29 Other relief operations 2,313,546.90 Miscellaneous 3,862,972.26 Total ■ $57,207,003.95 HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL WORK, WITH ARMIES AND NAVY Hospitals for American and Allied Troops There were twenty-four Red Cross hospitals In France operated to assist the medical service of the United States Army. Although dif- ferent circumstances surrounded the establishment and maintenance of each one of these hospitals, it is generally true that they were oper- ated jointly by the American Red Cross and the United States Army under an arrangement by which the Red Cross supplied the manage- ment and equipment, and the Army furnished the scientific personnel. However, the Red Cross often assumed complete direction of the hos- pital, and sometimes furnished physicians and nurses. Most of these hospitals were conducted for sick and wounded Ameri- can soldiers, but, of course, French and other Allied troops were also admitted. One hospital was operated for the American Navy, one for Czecho-Slovak troops, one for Army auxiliary personnel, such as the Y. M. C. A., the Knights of Columbus and the Red Cross, and one for neighboring civilian personnel whose health had become a menace to American soldiers. 52 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS A summary of the work performed in all of these twenty-four hos- pitals, based on incomplete records, is shown below : Table 28 WORK IN TWENTY-FOUR RED CROSS MILITARY HOSPITALS IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, iQig Patient days 1,154,854 Patients admitted 91.356 Patients died 1.457 X-ray examinations 29,050 Foreign bodies located , 8,297 Bacterial counts 8,235 Blood examinations 6,827 Cultures 10,008 Operations 22,508 Beds 14,890 Maximum bed expansion 17.751 The growth of the Red Cross military hospital service during the months in which America was actively engaged in the fighting is shown in the following diagram. Diagram 5. Hospital days in Red Cross military hospitals in France during months of America's most active service, June, 1918, to December, 1918 As an indication of the ability to meet emergencies, a complete 1,000 bed hospital was made ready in forty-eight hours. Convalescent Homes for American Soldiers In addition to the twenty-four military hospitals mentioned above, the Red Cross operated twelve convalescent homes for American sol- diers who no longer required active hospital care but had not entirely recovered from their sickness or wounds. These homes had 2,374 beds, and 2,692 patients were admitted. Patients were in the homes a total of 56,739 days (patient days). STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 53 Dispensaries and Infirmaries for American Soldiers To assist the United States Army in handling less serious cases of sickness and injuries the Red Cross operated in France eight infirmaries and thirteen dispensaries. Some of these establishments were con- nected with Red Cross hospitals or canteens, and three of them were limited to dental work. During the period covered by this report 52,809 cases were treated in the infirmaries and 128,736 by the dis- pensaries. Hospital Supply Service for American Army Emergency depots of hospital supplies were always held by the Red Cross at the call of the Army. It was a supplementary service, but many times it met a vital need that otherwise would not have been met, admittedly lending to the saving of thousands of lives that other- wise would have been lost. Hundreds of different kinds of things were furnished on emergency call. In addition to millions of surgical dressings and other ordinary hospital supplies, such things as tents, barracks, portable laundries, shower and delousing plants, disinfecting machines, sterilizers, labora- tory outfits, and ice-making plants were also distributed. A further suggestion of the extent of this work may be conveyed by two illustrations : in a single day during the heaviest of the .summer of 1918 fighting, 128 emergency requisitions were received, each covering from one to fifty items; again, on one day at the start of the St. Mihiel offensive, fifteen carloads of surgical dressings and front-line packages were shipped to the American front. What might be termed the mechanical aspect of this work reached an unusual standard of effectiveness, which may be illustrated by two instances : a request for 15,000 articles of various kinds, including medi- cal supplies, food, and comforts, required for immediate use on the American front, was received in Paris at 4 p. m., the goods assembled from three warehouses and delivered at the front at midnight; in an- other case, a marine officer arrived in Paris at i a. m. with a large, urgent order, was given a bed to rest in and then started on his way back to Chateau-Thierry at 3 a. m., with his supplies loaded in three camionettes. Red Cross Supply Service for French Hospitals The Red Cross operated a similar supply service for French hospi- tals, practically all of which were in desperate need of supplies. Up to 54 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS February 28, 1919, this service had been extended to 3,780 institutions. Millions of articles of hundreds of different kinds and aggregating in weight more than 3,820,000 pounds have been distributed in this work. There was another line of Red Cross work directly affecting French hospitals, viz., a visiting service, conducted by Red Cross women, for the benefit of wounded American soldiers who had been brigaded with the French. Production and Supply of Splints At the request of the Army, the Red Cross undertook to supply the American Expeditionary Forces with all necessary splints. By means of orders placed with private firms and the operation of a factory in France a complete supply was made available for American soldiers at no cost to the Army. More than 294,000 splints were supplied. Production and Supply of Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen The Army also relied on the Red Cross for its full supply of nitrous oxide and oxygen. (Nitrous oxide is a new and improved anaesthetic, particularly valuable in cases where patients are too weak to take ether.) The Red Cross met this requirement by means of shipments from America and the organization of production in France. No charge was made 'for this service. The following table gives statistics concerning the production and distribution of these commodities: Table 2g RED CROSS PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF NITROUS OXIDE AND OXYGEN Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Distribution of nitrous oxide Gallons Army 3,176,256 Red Cross hospitals ' . . 405,620 Miscellaneous 251,110 Total 3,832,986 Distribution of oxygen Army 299,510 Red Cross hospitals 155,320 Miscellaneous 52,560 Total 507,390 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 55 Reconstruction and Re-education The Red Cross operated a service to assist the American and French Governments in their problems of re-educating crippled and disabled soldiers and sailors. Certain aid of a less extensive character was also given to disabled Serbians. Mention has already been made (see page 42) of work along similar lines done by the Red Cross in America through its Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men, which should be referred to in this connection. The relief of French mutiles included the operation of a school farm, the manufacture of portrait masks and artificial limbs, the operation of an educational and publicity service, and assistance to French institu- tions offering commercial and industrial courses to mutiles. It is esti- mated that 65,000 of the 600,000 crippled French soldiers were reached by the Red Cross. Statistics concerning this work are given in the table below: Table 30 RED CROSS AID TO FRENCH MUTILES Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQ19 Instruction in farming Men instructed 123 Teaching days . S.527 Portrait masks made 94 Artificial limb apparatus distributed 2,284 Men attending lectures on reconstruction 39,200 Leaflets distributed 46,000 Men helped through donations to French institutions 56,426 To assist American disabled soldiers, the Red Cross collected infor- mation for the United States Government and undertook an educa- tional campaign to spread information concerning reconstruction pos- sibilities. It is estimated that the majority of the 230,000 American troops who were injured in battle were reached by the Red Cross. Statistics concerning this work are given below: Table 31 RED CROSS AID TO DISABLED AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Talks in huts and wards 3.929 Men reached by talks 136,400 Personal conferences held 64,255 Applications for training courses 27,210 Bulletins distributed 559, 500 56 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS CANTEENS General The best story of the Red Cross canteen service is one that would be given by the men who were benefited by it. However, the following simple record is bound to carry definite meaning : Table 32 SUMMARY STATISTICS OF RED CROSS CANTEENS IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Canteens operated 130 Men served iS.376,324 Meals furnished 6,iS3.S9S Drinks furnished 12,701,850 It should be borne in mind that all service except complete meals was rendered free, and only a nominal charge exacted for meals. Front-line Canteens The canteen work right up by the front lines is undoubtedly the most interesting part of the whole canteen service. In this work, men often worked under shell-fire for days, beset by difficulties, surrounded with Diagram 6. Thousands of drinks served in Red Cross canteens at the front, by months, September, 1917, to December, igi8 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 57 dangers, distributing hot drinks, cigarettes, tobacco, chocolate, medi- cal supplies and other articles to American and French soldiers near the front lines. There were twenty-two of these canteens and six out- posts, through which 5,788,110 hot drinks were given away. The growth of this service is shown by Diagram 6 on the opposite page. Line of Communication Canteens On the railroad lines connecting the French cities with the front, the Red Cross operated seventy-five canteens for the benefit of American and Allied soldiers In transit. This service added to the comfort of the passing troops by furnishing meals, refreshments, baths, and shel- ter, and by administering to the sick and wounded. Summary statistics of this work, which by no means tell the complete story, are given below: Table 33 RED CROSS LINE OF COMMUNICATION CANTEENS Twenty Months Ending February 28, igiQ Meals furnished in canteens 2,350,272 Men served from station platform 2,444,116 Men served in dormitories, infirmaries, and rest rooms 286,026 Drinks furnished 5,484,102 Doughnuts furnished 358.179 Aviation Canteens In four American aviation camps the Red Cross operated canteens which performed a combination of canteen and camp service, distribut- ing food, clothing, games, and comforts. The following table gives statistics concerning a part of this work : Table 34 RED CROSS AVIATION CANTEENS Twenty Months Ending February 28, ipig Men served 98.178 Drinks furnished 614,638 Magazines furnished 11,460 Garments furnished 5.961 Garments mended 5.769 Men served in barber shop 44.420 Loans of books 38,451 58 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Evacuation Hospital Canteens The Red Cross conducted sixteen canteens in evacuation hospitals of the United States Army. This service distributed refreshments, furnished special food for the sick and wounded and operated rest rooms and recreation houses. Every United States sanitary train was visited, and cigarettes, gum and cocoa given to each individual. Sta- tistics concerning this work are given below : Table 35 RED CROSS CANTEENS IN EVACUATION HOSPITALS Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Drinks of cocoa furnished 815,000 Cigarettes distributed 2,845,000 Papers and magazines distributed 49,180 Letters written S.200 Metropolitan Canteens In the metropolitan area of Paris, the Red Cross operated thirteen canteens to provide food and lodging for American and French troops. The service rendered by these canteens is shown below: Table 36 RED CROSS METROPOLITAN CANTEENS Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Meals furnished American soldiers 630,740 Meals furnished French soldiers • • 3.1 70.933 Meals furnished wounded soldiers 1.650 Total meals furnished ^ 3.803,323 Beds supplied American soldiers 41.285 In addition to the metropolitan canteens mentioned above, the Red Cross financed either wholly or in part twelve other canteens in the Paris area controlled by the French. During the period covered by this report these canteens furnished 4,213,200 meals. RECREATIONAL AND WELFARE SERVICE FOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS Representatives of the Red Cross were attached to every United States division and naval station in France. Their task was to do STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 59 everything that could be done legitimately to aid the troops and to add to their comfort. Through them, troops in financial troubles were aided; if family troubles developed, steps were taken to assure that the Red Cross organization in the States reached out a helping hand to the family concerned; thousands of letters were written for boys unable to write; personal services of numerous kinds were ren- dered; newspapers and periodicals were distributed by the millions; all activities for entertaining the troops were fostered; comfort sup- plies were issued by the million — particularly the knitted sweaters, socks, etc., made by the chapter women in America. A list of the kinds of things distributed would fill a volume. The extent of the service may be suggested by mention of a few items se- lected at random: barracks, books, coal, communion services, Christ- mas gifts, flags, footballs, baseballs, playing cards, ice-cream freezers, moving-picture films, pianos, phonographs, needles, printing presses, shaving outfits, stoves, tea, cigarettes, tobacco and writing materials. Perhaps one example will serve to illustrate the important character of the work performed by the Red Cross representatives with the Army. Just before a certain division was expected to make an attack, a Red Cross captain was urgently asked for additional ambulances. By motoring through the night to Paris this man was able to appear at the front the next day with ten ambulances, which performed such efTectlve service under fire that all the drivers were cited for bravery. HOME AND HOSPITAL SERVICE FOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS This work was essentially the same as the camp service work in hospitals in the United States. It confined its efforts very largely to the sick and wounded American soldiers and sailors in hospitals, pro- viding dainties, comforts, recreation for them and a communication service which kept relatives at home informed regarding the welfare and whereabouts of their boys. Hospital Farms and Gardens This phase of the work included, among other things, the operation of hospital farms and gardens which served the double purpose of furnishing healthful exercise to convalescent soldiers and providing the patients with fresh vegetables. Statistics showing the nature of this work follow: 60 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Table 37 RED CROSS HOSPITAL FARMS AND GARDENS IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, igiQ Farms and gardens operated 23 Acreage 374 Convalescents employed (daily average) 113 Hours of convalescent labor 77. 130 Hospital Recreational Huts These were club-rooms for the convalescents, where entertainment and light refreshments were provided, and where the recovering soldier could rest quietly in pleasant surroundings with books, periodicals, home papers and writing materials at hand. Perhaps the most appre- ciated element was the opportunity to enjoy the companionship of the American Red Cross girls by whom the huts were operated. There were ninety-nine of these huts. Another service rendered in the huts, or in adjoining hospital build- ings, that deserves special mention is the moving-picture operations. An idea of the extent of this service is given below : Table 38 RED CROSS MOVING PICTURES FOR HOSPITALS Twenty Months Ending February 28, 1919 Moving picture machines installed ' 90 Film plays in use 617 Feet of films in use 1,418,000 Feet of films passed in shows 54.895.700 Shows given 6,697 Attendance at shows 3.109,590 Hours of entertainment 10,005 Home Communication Service This work which involved the keeping of relatives at home informed as to the welfare and whereabouts of soldiers was conducted all over France but particularly with the men in hospitals. Through trained searchers, news of the sick and wounded was gathered, details of deaths were ascertained and men reported as missing were traced. The value of this service to the affected relatives may be imagined. The part that the Red Cross played in locating men first reported as missing was a very large one. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 6l The extent of service rendered along the lines mentioned above is indicated by the following table: Table sg RED CROSS HOME COMMUNICATION SERVICE IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Reports on well, wounded, and dead 105,456 Reports on prisoners, missing, and details of deaths 28,407 Letters written 219,939 Grave Photography A service directly related to that described above is the work of photographing the graves of all American boys who died in France. This entire work was done by the Red Cross. The family of every boy whose grave is distinguishable has received, or will receive, a picture of his grave. This work, now nearly completed, has involved the tak- ing of some 170,000 photographs under all kinds of difficulties. CIVILIAN RELIEF Relief of Refugees Caring for the millions of refugees who had evacuated before the German advances presented an enormous task to the French Govern- ment, and one that the Government asked the Red Cross to take a large part in. From the start the fundamental principle in the Red Cross work with refugees was to work through and with all available French agencies rather than to attempt to establish an independent service. Working with such agencies, the task was to provide food, clothing, shelter, medical attendance and employment. Particular mention should be made of the splendid work done by the English and American Friends, with whom the Red Cross has cooperated. Almost every conceivable difficulty had to be overcome, but the Red Cross work directly assisted 1,726,354 refugees. A few statistics concerning this work follow: 62 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS • Table 40 'RELIEF OF FRENCH REFUGEES Twenty Months Ending February 28, IQ19 Total refugees aided 1,726,354 Dwellings provided 996 Hospitals and dispensaries operated 67 Refugees aided in hospitals and dispensaries 190,575 Dispensaries operated jointly by the Red Cross and the French 5 Refugees aided in joint dispensaries 37.581 Refugee canteens operated 8 Refugees fed at canteens 66,419 Workrooms operated 68 This list makes no mention of the thousands of tons of supplies that were distributed, nor of many of the arrangements that were made to provide employment. With the signing of the armistice, this work took on a different form — that of helping the people as they returned to the devastated area. It has involved a much larger task than the work before the armistice, for it brings to hundreds of thousands of families in great need essential assistance in re-establishing their homes and is of a permanent rather than transient value. Communities have been encouraged to organize committees to deal with their problems ; the Red Cross is now working with 200 such com- mittees, covering in their work i ,200 towns and villages. Through the committees, the Red Cross is distributing tens of thousands of tons of needed supplies of a value of many millions of dollars. Relief of French Soldiers' Families After three years of war, the families of thousands of the French soldiers were in desperate need. Such a condition naturally reacted on the morale of the troops. The French Government welcomed the aid of the Red Cross in coping with the situation. As a result, the Red Cross operated what was in effect "home service" for the families of French soldiers. -^ The main work took the form of a wide distribution of cash to assist in meeting the necessities of life. At first the distribution was made through the officials of the territorial departments of the French Government. Later, the gifts were made to families recommended through the commanding officers of all parts of the French Army. Families to the number of 87,652 were aided in this way up to Feb- ruary 28, 1919. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 63 Children's Relief Work The welfare of children could not be given much care by a country harassed as France was by war, and, after three years of it, there was great need for work among children. It was in this way that one of the most important branches of the Red Cross work in France de- veloped. The work had so many human elements in it that it is with hesitancy that any mention is made of it in a statistical way. The main task was to cope with under-feeding, under-nourishment and lack of medical care. As far as possible, the work was done by encouraging and supporting French agencies, but in many places operations were carried on directly by the Red Cross — a necessity particularly in the case of hospitals, dispensaries and clinics. An idea of the extent of the work is given by the following table: Table 41 children's relief work in FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig Hospitals and convalescent homes operated 25 Patients treated in hospitals and convalescent homes 16,346 Dispensaries and clinics operated 99 Patients treated in dispensaries and clinics 189,111 School children served in canteens 32,000 Children taught to play 27,000 Child-welfare expositions held 7 Attendance at expositions 625,000 Children's institutions or societies aided Si9 Mention should also be made in this connection of the Red Cross work involved in selecting more than two thousand French war orphans for "adoption" by individuals or military units in the American Expeditionary Forces by contributions made through "Stars and Stripes" — the official newspaper of the A. E. F. While the immediate value of the children's work in France is self- suggestive, no doubt a great permanent gain will be made through the stimulation this work gave to all welfare work with children. Anti-Tuberculosis Work Work in combatting tuberculosis also naturally suffered because all French efforts were centered on the war, and there was a large increase in the disease directly from the war's effects. In this field, too, the Red Cross was able to undertake large and important work, in co- operation with the Commission for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, 64 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Substantial cooperative aid was given in this work by the Society des Tuherculeux de la Guerre. Again, the main efforts of the Red Cross were directed towards assisting in every way possible existing French agencies engaged in such work. In only a few instances were institutions operated directly by the Red Cross. A brief statistical summary of the work follows : Table 42 ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS WORK IN FRANCE Twenty Months Ending February 28, 191Q Tuberculosis institutions aided 847 New beds added to tuberculosis institutions 2,678 Red Cross tuberculosis hospitals operated 5 Beds in Red Cross hospitals 675 Patient days in Red Cross hospitals 172,942 Patients cared for other than in Red Cross hospitals 4.423 The Red Cross part in anti-tuberculosis work in France extended beyond the work for French nationals just described. To mention only two instances, it assisted in the development of a hospital for use by tubercular American troops prior to their return to the States, and directly aided agencies for tubercular Serbians in France. OTHER ACTIVITIES The preceding pages have covered only the major tasks undertaken by the Red Cross in France. Space does not admit of mentioning each of the many other activities, which included important research work along medical lines, emergency relief to stranded Americans and to the nationals of Allied nations, support given to the French Red Cross (including a contribution of approximately $1,750,000) and assisting U. S. Army nurses by equipment issues, supplementary allowances, etc. Nor is this the place to deal with the Red Cross organization in France as an organization, or with the personnel that made up the organization. Perhaps the record presented in the preceding pages gives, by itself, an idea of the forces that carried on the work described. V WORK ELSEWHERE OVERSEAS GENERAL Outside of the work in France, the Red Cross did relief work in twenty-four foreign countries during the period covered by this re- port. That this work, which is brought together under the caption "Work Elsewhere Overseas," was not insignificant is indicated by the fact that cash appropriated for it aggregated over $63,000,000, while the value of chapter relief supplies usedin it was approximately $12,000,000, producing a total of $75,000,000 for the twenty months ending February 28, 191 9. While different kinds of work were carried on in each country, in accordance with the particular needs of the country concerned, there were practically no kinds of work that were not also undertaken in France. It might almost be said that the work in each country was simply a duplication, in a smaller way, of the work done in France, though, of course, there was no need in certain places of particular activities that were greatly needed in France. In each place, the endeavor was to do the things that were most needed and thereby to strengthen the Allied nation where it was weakest — always, of course, confining activities to the field that the Red Cross could properly undertake. Because of these circumstances, and because of a desire to make this report as brief as it can be made consistent with comprehensiveness, details of the work done in each country outside of France will not be presented — dependence being placed on the descriptions of each kind of work that have been given in the preceding chapter, which is devoted to the work in France. The present chapter will be confined to brief mention of the main lines of work carried on in each country in which Red Cross operated extensively. The table that follows shows the cash appropriations for the coun- tries where the important operations were conducted: 66 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Table 43 APPROPRIATIONS FOR CASH EXPENDITURE ELSEWHERE OVERSEAS Twenty Months Ending February 28, igiQ Belgium $3,875,161.12 Italy 11,972,819.11 British Isles 11,267,304.53 Switzerland Si972, 777.38 Palestine and Near East 8,320,211.32 Balkans 4,569,868.96 Russia (excluding Siberia) 2,240,167.02 Siberia 8,225,769.67 Other activities overseas 7.396,575.93 Total $63,840,655.04 BELGIUM While the somewhat general similarity in conditions made the needs in Belgium parallel those in France, an important difference was due to the fact that such a large proportion of the country was occupied by the Germans, with the result that refugees were scattered through France, Holland, England and Switzerland. This condition naturally imposed great diflficulties on the Belgian Government, and on the Red Cross in its endeavors to help the people in want. As in the case of the work in France, the main policy of the Red Cross was to aid the people by supporting and helping national agencies. In this undertaking, relief was given through the Belgian Red Cross and some 300 other Belgian relief organizations, some of the major activities being described in the paragraphs that follow. Soldiers' Relief Service More than sixty relief organizations were aided by the Red Cross in carrying on activities directly connected with the welfare of Belgian soldiers. Among these activities were hospitals, canteens and rest houses, bath and lodging houses, libraries and reading rooms, schools and farms for re-education of mutil^s, manufacturing and distribution of artificial limbs, cinemas and concerts, athletic contests, gifts of musical instruments and music, supplementary allowances for nurses, care of Belgian soldiers' families, gifts to decorated and specially meritorious soldiers and research and employment service for disabled and discharged soldiers. Eighty-two canteens served approximately 25,000 soldiers daily. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 67 Twenty-eight hospitals were aided by gifts of cash and supplies of numerous kinds. Cinemas at the front entertained an average of 8,000 men daily. Libraries were equipped with nearly 300,000 volumes; one reading room alone served 450,000 men in one year. An educational course was given to 7,500 Belgian soldiers during one year. Relief of Children The Red Cross made grants to nearly seventy organizations carrying on relief work for children. Children's colonies were established in France, Switzerland and Holland. Baby-saving work was conducted in Belgium and in refugee centers. Everything possible was done to preserve the health and welfare of these children. The Red Cross aided directly in evacuating some 20,000 children, placing 8,000 in France, 2,000 in Switzerland and 10,000 in Holland — in school colonies, etc. Fifteen milk distributing depots were maintained in unoccupied Belgium. Four hundred baby clothing outfits were distributed monthly to Belgian children in France. A dispensary was established and operated by the American Red Cross at Le Havre, France, in April, 191 8, and in September a hospital of 20 beds was added. Social service and public health nursing were also carried on. To February 28, 1919, a total of 14,610 dispensary patients were treated, 2,523 house visits were made by doctors and nurses and 195 hospital patients treated. Relief of Civilians When one considers that approximately 90,000 Belgian civilians remained in unoccupied Belgium within range of German guns, and that 600,000 found refuge in other countries, some idea can be obtained of the hardships these people went through during more than four years of war. Grants were made to nearly 150 relief agencies, and with these agencies the Red Cross cooperated in: Establishing and maintaining hospitals, refugee colonies, health centers, etc.; Providing housing accommodations, clothes, household furniture, livestock, etc.; 68 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Transporting refugees to places of safety; Maintaining a service by which members of families were brought in touch with one another. In short, the Belgian refugees were followed wherever they went and provided with suitable food, clothing and comforts. ITALY A permanent Red Cross Commission for Italy was appointed in the fall of 19 1 7 and arrived in Rome during the latter part of December. In January, 1918, it took over the work of a temporary Commission, composed of members of the Red Cross Commission for France who had been sent to Italy at the time of the great emergency resulting from the Caporetto disaster of November, 191 7. Red Cross work in Italy thus commenced in November, 1917, during the great offensive, when the need for moral and material assistance from America was urgent. The help given at this time was confined mainly to hospital and ambulance service for the hard-pressed soldiers at the front, and relief of refugees from the Venetian plains. During the following months the work of the Red Cross extended to 141 towns, as shown on the map on page 70, as well as to thousands of smaller villages from the Alps to the Island of Sicily. Service for American Soldiers and Sailors Red Cross work for American soldiers and sailors in Italy included hospital service, canteen service, and home and communication services. Large quantities of medical and surgical supplies and considerable equipment, including drugs, medicines, surgical instruments, sterilizers, incinerators and X-ray machines, were furnished the American mili- tary and naval forces. Four hospitals were operated — one for the Army, one for the Navy and two for American war workers. Canteens were established wherever American soldiers were sta- tioned, and rolling canteens followed them to the front when they took part in the victorious Italian offensive of October, 191 8. Other Red Cross work for American soldiers in Italy included the distribution of comforts and the operation of a home and communi- cation service which up to February 28, 19 19, had handled over 22,000 cases. Perhaps the most important of these cases were 14,600 in- STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 69 Stances in which correct addresses were secured for allotments to American soldiers' families residing in Italy. Medical and Hospital Service for the Italian Army As a result of the 191 7 offensive, the Italian Army lost one hundred hospitals and two main field magazines of medical supplies. The dis- organizing effects of these reverses were increased by the fact that thousands of wounded soldiers were coming in from the front. Although at this time the Red Cross had barely commenced opera- tions in Italy, the seriousness of the situation was at once appreciated, and large quantities of gauze, cotton, drugs and other medical supplies and equipment were given the Italian authorities. Within sixty days 951,000 articles were distributed, including ten complete field hospitals. During the following months the Red Cross continued to furnish both the Italian Army Medical Department and individual military hospitals with general medical supplies and specialized equipment such as disinfecting machines and articles for research laboratories. A service was operated for manufacturing, sterilizing and distributing surgical dressings to supplement the regular supply of the Italian Army. Ambulance Service for the Italian Army On December 9, 1917, two days after the United States had officially declared war on Austria, there appeared on the streets of Milan one hundred Red Cross ambulance drivers, each driving his own car, bound for the Italian front. These and other ambulances furnished by the Red Cross handled from January i, 1918 to February 28, 1919, 148,224 cases, making 14,194 trips and covering 652,995 miles. That the work of this service was appreciated by the Italian Government Is shown by the fact that all the field personnel received War Crosses. Canteen Service for the Italian Army Thirty-three canteens were operated by the Red Cross in Italy for the benefit of Italian and Allied troops. Seventeen of these were scattered along the Italian front, both In the mountains and on the plains, and the remaining sixteen were located at important railroad stations along the line of communication. From these canteens drinks, chocolate, cigarettes and other refreshments were distributed, and beds and baths were often provided. The extensive nature of this work is Indicated by the fact that an average of 1,400,000 men were served each month in the thirty-three canteens. 70 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS M E D^^ SEA Map II. 141 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Italy, November, 1917, to February, 191 9 With the signing of the armistice, the service of the front-Hne can- teens was extended to thousands of ItaHan prisoners returning from Austria and Germany. Because of the lack of system in hberating these men, many of them were in a half -starved condition when they reached the Italian frontier. To February 28, 1919, the Red Cross had served 1,132,300 rations to returning Italian prisoners. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT Jl Relief of Refugees In its work among refugees the Red Cross cooperated with the Italian Government in making the Hves of these unfortunate people as near as possible like their lives in their former homes. Thousands of civilians were driven from the north to the south of Italy by the great offensive of 191 7. Canteens and rest houses were operated by the Red Cross to help them, and clothing and other supplies were distributed among the more needy. During the follow- ing months the Red Cross assisted in caring for the refugees in the towns and villages throughout Italy. This work included the main- tenance of refugee colonies, hospitals, dispensaries and food kitchens, and the operation of workrooms for the manufacture of many kinds of articles, such as clothing, embroidery, mattresses and furniture. A few statistics concerning this work are given in the following table: Table 44 RED CROSS WORK AMONG REFUGEES IN ITALY November, 1917 — February, 1919 Refugee colonies operated 5 Persons cared for in colonies 2,774 Hospitals operated 3 Dispensaries operated 3 Workrooms operated , 88 Persons employed in workrooms 9.057 Garments produced in workrooms 1,411,105 Food kitchens operated 50 Rations served daily in food kitchens (average) 28,664 Persons furnished uncooked food 424,600 The above statistics do not show the large quantities of supplies distributed among refugees. A few of these supplies are mentioned below : Table 45 A FEW OF THE SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED BY THE RED CROSS AMONG REFUGEES IN ITALY November, 1917 — February, 1919 Garments 891,661 Shoes (pairs) 148,434 Cloth (yards) 1,006,448 Bedding and household articles 671,605 Knitting yam (pounds) 47,661 ^^2 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Care of Children The Red Cross cooperated with the Itahan Government in feeding, clothing and caring for the thousands of war orphans and other un- happy children in Italy. This work included the operation of summer colonies, orphanages, day nurseries, industrial schools, playgrounds and health centers, and the distribution of food and clothes. During the period covered by this report, the Red Cross was able to help 154,704 Italian children, 50,554 of whom were cared for in institutions. Other Activities The other activities of the Red Cross in Italy are too numerous to mention individually in this report. They included such important work as the distribution of cash to 326,035 needy families of Italian soldiers and the operation during the Spanish influenza epidemic of forty-eight relief stations from which special foods were distributed and medical aid was given. Mention should also be made of certain work in connection with the victorious Italian offensive of the fall of 191 8, during which Red Cross ambulance and camion services followed the Italian troops to assist in legitimate ways both the Army and the civilian population in the regained territory. BRITISH ISLES American Red Cross activities in the British Isles consisted chiefly of caring for American soldiers and sailors passing to and from the front, providing for those shipwrecked nearby, and caring for the American wounded. The map on page 74 indicates the extent of the Red Cross work in the British Isles. Hospital Service A foremost place in any outline of Red Cross work must always be given to the hospitals. The importance of this activity in the British Isles was emphasized during the time American troops were brigaded with British. The American wounded from these units were necessarily taken to the British Isles. There were thirteen American Red Cross hospitals in the British Isles for American military and naval forces, which cared for 6,000 patients. Several of these hospitals were organized or constructed by the Red Cross, and then turned over to the American Army Medical Corps; STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 73 others were operated under an arrangement by which the American Red Cross furnished the management and the equipment and the American Army suppHed the technical personnel. One of these hos- pitals was for American nurses, and two were operated for the Navy, In addition to the American Red Cross hospitals in the British Isles for American soldiers, there were several American Army and Navy hospitals. American Army patients were also cared for in 200 British institutions. Wherever there were American Army or Navy patients in the British Isles, the Red Cross assisted in every way possible through its hospital visiting service, its casualty information service and its distribution of hospital and medical supplies, equipment and comforts. In addition, the Red Cross operated small hospitals or infirmaries for American soldiers in fifty camps throughout the British Isles. Camp and Canteen Service The importance of the camp and canteen service for American soldiers and sailors carried on by the Red Cross in the British Isles is suggested by the fact that nearly one million American soldiers passed through Great Britain during the period covered by this report and that a large portion of them was scattered through 100 camps for rest and training. The camp service included the distribution of many kinds of supplies and comforts, erection of shower baths and per- formance of emergency service of every description. The Red Cross, in the beginning of its work, depended largely on the British canteens, to which liberal donations were made. Later, the Red Cross equipped and operated its own canteens in metropolitan districts, along lines of communication and at ports. Perhaps the four most important were located at Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Southampton. Following is a list of some of the principal items distributed free to American soldiers and sailors through the Red Cross camp and canteen service: Table 46 SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES DISTRIBUTED FREE TO AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND SAILORS IN THE BRITISH ISLES Twenty Months Ending February 28, 191Q Bags (comfort) .... 54,720 Brushes (hair) .... 6,907 Bedspreads 9,325 Brushes (shaving) . . . 22,931 Biscuits 34,631 (lbs.) Brushes (tooth) .... 59,514 Blankets 39.944 Buns 70,871 74 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS ATLANTIC OCEAN NORTH SEA 7S.TLANTIC OCEAN ^^''o^,^ Map 12. 32Q stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in the British Isles, October, IQ17, to February, IQIQ STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 75 Cake 121,995 (lbs.) Candy 16,266 (lbs.) Cheese 7.70? (lbs.) Chocolate bars . . . .1,001,100 Chocolate 169,033 (lbs.) Cigarettes 8,432,557 Coffee 20,370 (lbs.) Combs 10,230 Eggs 85,448 Flags 18,458 Fruits 37,001 (cans) Fruits (dried) 31.645 (lbs.) Games 20,719 Gloves 36,514 (prs.) Gum (chewing) . . . .5,183,187 (pieces) Handkerchiefs .... 125,679 Honey 3,868 (lbs.) Jam 16,824 (lbs.) Knitted articles: Helmets 25,394 Mufflers 23,644 Sweaters 90,191 Wristlets 24,344 Matches 127,593 (boxes) Meat 41,885 (lbs.) Milk 44.598 (cans) Milk 49,230 (qts.) Musical instruments: Phonographs .... 302 Phonograph records . 6,896 Pianos 8 Other musical instru- ments 463 Napkins (paper) . . . 1,136,075 Oranges 766,556 Pajamas 311,820 Potatoes 44,866 Razors (safety) .... 36,967 Razor blades 133.959 Sheets 51.084 Shirts 37.838 Slippers 8,974 Soap 139.377 Soap (shaving) .... 71,687 Socks 104,485 Soup 14.195 Sugar 99.318 Surgical dressings . . . 816,164 Talcum powder .... 27,215 Tea 1. 90s Testaments 294 Tobacco (smoking) . . 133,820 Tooth paste 79,819 Towels 79.819 Writing paper: Envelopes 1,007,222 Pads 85,506 Sheets 107,756 (suits) (lbs.) (prs.) (cakes) (sticks) (prs.) (cans) (lbs.) (cans) (lbs.) (pkgs.) (tubes) Care of the Shipwrecked The Red Cross helped in every way possible those American soldiers who were survivors of the transports "Tuscania" and "Moldavia," which were sunk in the neighborhood of the British Isles. Money, clothing, comforts and other supplies were given to these survivors; and those placed in hospitals were given every assistance by Red Cross representatives. Anticipating future occurrences similar to the sinking of the "Tus- cania" in February, 191 8, the Red Cross made provision for caring more completely for the survivors. Stores of clothing, first-aid outfits and other necessary supplies were located at various Irish stations for completely outfitting 6,000 Americans on short notice. Arrangements were made for billeting and feeding any number that might be landed at out-of-the-way places, while a fleet of motor cars was made availa- ble for emergencies. 76 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS Other Activities Space is not available in this report to tell of all the activities of the Red Cross in the British Isles; home service, communication service, nursing service and kindred activities are covered at length in the chapter on France. Mention should be made, however, of the work of the London Chap- ter of the American Red Cross. This Chapter carried on all of the Red Cross activities in Great Britain prior to the appointment of a commission, and since then has worked in close cooperation with it, operating a hospital supply service; work shops for making surgical dressings, hospital garments, etc., employing over 2,000 women; an officers' hospital and a well-equipped club for nurses. It has active committees dealing with comforts for soldiers, distribution of books, entertainment of officers and nurses in London and kindred activities. Mention should also be made of more than $5,000,000 contributed by the Red Cross to other relief organizations in the British Isles; among other items, $4,500,000 was given to the British Red Cross, and $250,000 to the Scottish Women's Hospital. SWITZERLAND The two most urgent reasons for Red Cross work in Switzerland were, first, the necessity of working from that country in aiding American Map 13. 2S stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Switzerland, May, 1918, to February, 1919 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT n soldiers in German prison camps, and, second, the need for extending to the Swiss Government and people aid in caring for the thousands of refugees from many lands who were located in Switzerland. Map 13 on the opposite page shows the places from which the Red Cross operated in Switzerland. Prisoners' Relief Service This service rendered aid to all American prisoners of war, and to many Allied prisoners, by supplying food and clothing, forwarding mail and money and communicating with the families and friends of the prisoners. Diagram 7. American prisoners in German and Austrian prison camps aided by the Red Cross, August is, 1918, to December 15, 1918 78 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS On August 15, 191 8, the Red Cross was aiding 577 American pri- soners in 39 prison camps. On November 30, 1918, this number had increased to 3,604 (including 12 sailors and 146 civilians) in 72 prison camps. Diagram 7, on page 77, shows the number aided by months. Supplies were shipped weekly or fortnightly by the Red Cross in twenty-pound packages, to all American prisoners of record, wherever located. At the start of this service the Red Cross furnished all such supplies free. Later, the U. S. Army and Navy furnished certain essential supplies to the Red Cross, which added supplementary items such as special food for invalid prisoners, chocolate, candy, pipes, tobacco, shaving outfits, etc. Complete clothing outfits were supplied on request. To determine whether supplies reached their destination, the prison- ers were asked to sign and return a card enclosed in each package. Acknowledgments were received for ninety per cent, of the shipments. In the following table are listed the quantities and kinds of articles furnished American prisoners, including those supplied by the U. S. Army and Navy : Table 47 SUPPLIES FURNISHED AMERICAN PRISONERS (Including items supplied by U. S. Army and Navy) Twenty Months Ending February 28, igig FOOD Beans i.7S2 (cans) Beans and pork 56,400 (cans) Biscuits 76,750 (lbs.) Candy 27,900 (lbs.) Cheese 450 (lbs.) Chocolate 112 (lbs.) Cinnamon 90 (lbs.) Cocoa 10,517 (lbs.) Coffee S7,6i2 (lbs.) Crackers 6,750 (lbs.) Fatbacks 19,000 (lbs.) Fish 6,300 (lbs.) Flour 19.992 (lbs.) Fruit (dried) 85,999 (lbs.) Gum (chewing) 500 (lbs.) Jam 87,334 (lbs.) Meats (tinned) 159.354 (lbs.) Milk (evaporated) .... 15.528 (lbs.) Oatmeal 12,600 (lbs.) Oleo 57.510 (lbs.) Gil (olive) 90 (lbs.) Pepper 240 (lbs.) Rice 56,000 (lbs.) Salt 44.915 (lbs.) Soup 10,400 (cans) Soup (powdered) .... 7,800 (pkgs.) Spaghetti 10,600 (cans) Sugar 106,520 (lbs.) Tea 512 (lbs.) Vegetables 13,200 (cans) Vinegar . 125 (gals.) STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 79 CLOTHING AND OTHER ARTICLES Brushes (clothes) ... i.ioo Razors (safety) i.ioo Brushes (hair) .... i.ioo Shirts (flannel) 800 Brushes (shaving) . . . 1,100 Shoes 400 (prs.) Brushes (tooth) .... 3.100 Shoe laces S.SOO Buttons (coat) .... 800 (cards) Shoe polish outfits .... 600 Caps 400 Slippers (felt) 2,000 (prs.) Cigarettes 4,188.000 Soap 23,300 (bars) Cigars S.ooo Soap (shaving) 2,200 (sticks) Combs 1, 100 Socks 1,200 (prs.) Handkerchiefs .... 1,200 Suits 400 Housewives 1,100 Tobacco (smoking) . . 105,837 (lbs.) Knives (pocket) .... 1,100 Toilet Cases 600 Overcoats 400 Towels 800 Pencils 16,000 Tooth paste 3.300 (tubes) Pipes 2,000 Underwear 1,600 (pes.) Mention should also be made of relief supplies aggregating nearly $3,800,000 in value purchased by the Red Cross, from funds furnished by the Serbian Government, and forwarded to Switzerland for distri- bution to Serbian prisoners of war. Among the other services performed for prisoners, the Red Cross acted as agent in transmitting over $32,000 to imprisoned soldiers of seventeen different nationalities, nearly one-half of which went to Americans. Also, over 50,000 letters were written to relatives and friends concerning the health and whereabouts of American prisoners. After the armistice was signed, the Red Cross distributed food and clothing to 2,600 American and 8,400 Italian prisoners repatriated through Switzerland. Relief of Civilians Relief was extended by the Red Cross to destitute children and aged persons repatriated by the Germans through Switzerland, interned Allied soldiers, interned civilians of the United States and Allies, and to Swiss families whose sons or fathers were in the service of the United States or Allied Governments. This relief in large part consisted of establishing and maintaining hospitals, canteens, workrooms, etc. ; donations to other relief organi- zations; and furnishing food and clothing to the needy. Mention should be made of the workrooms established for interned soldiers, where many necessary articles were made. BALKAN STATES Although the American Red Cross had representatives in the Bal- kans as early as the winter of 1914-1915, relief activities did not 8d WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS assume large proportions until the summer of 191 7, when commissions were sent to Serbia and Roumania. In the fall of 19 18 a commission was sent to Greece, and early in 1 91 9, with the opening up of large territories "occupied by the Central Powers during the war, units were sent to North Serbia, Roumania, Montenegro and Albania to combat conditions beyond description. However, the work of these units was hardly well under way by February 28, 191 9, hence a record of things accomplished must be omitted from this report. The appropriations for the Balkan States recorded on page 66 include $2,550,489.99 for expenditure by these units. However, a fair idea of the work done by the Red Cross in each of the countries comprising the Balkan States will be conveyed by the following outlines of the work done in Roumania and Serbia by the units that went to those countries during the summer of 191 7. Roumania In August, 1 91 7, the Red Cross sent a Commission to Roumania which arrived in Jassy, the temporary capital, in September, and found great suffering on all sides. All that remained of the once properous kingdom was the mountainous province of Moldavia, about the size of the State of Connecticut, where the population had doubled from the influx of soldiers and refugees. Pneumonia, cholera and typhus were rampant, the medical and hospital facilities were entirely inade- quate, and there was a distressing lack of food, clothing and other supplies. Soon after its arrival, the Commission took over a 500 bed military hospital at Roman, and later assumed charge of a civil hospital in Jassy. Dispensaries for needy civilians were operated in both places. In Roman alone, more than 20,000 operations were performed or treatments given. The chief difficulty in the way of extending general relief was to secure necessary supplies. Russia was the only gateway to the out- side world, and Russia was suffering from economic disorganization. However, despite great difficulties, carloads of foodstuffs, clothing, drugs and surgical supplies were brought from Archangel, Petrograd and Moscow, and made available to the Roumanian population. In the three districts of Putna, Tekuchin, and Bocan, over 40,000 persons were fed every day by the Red Cross. A canteen was opened in Jassy, where for two months meals were given 2,000 people. The STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT Map 14. 13 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Roumania, December, 1917, to March, 1918 various places in which Red Cross service was rendered are shown on the map above. In March, 1918, after Roumania had made a separate peace with Germany, it became necessary for the Red Cross to withdraw. The undistributed Red Cross reUef supplies were turned over to the Rou- manian Government and various organizations. Among these articles were foodstuffs sufficient to feed 2,000 people for three months, and large quantities of bandages, medicines and garments. Serbia The only part of Serbia that was unoccupied when the Red Cross Commission arrived there in August, 191 7, was a narrow strip of land lying along the Greek border south of Monastir, once fertile, but at that time stripped of everything by the invaders. 82 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS In this narrow area were found 50,000 Serbians wholly dependent on charity. All through Greece homeless and destitute refugees were scattered. A supply of seed and agricultural implements was sent from America for use in cultivating 21,000 acres near Monastir. A party of agri- cultural experts was sent to take charge of this work. To aid the refugees in northern Greece, the Red Cross furnished large quantities of food, clothing and medical supplies, established hospitals and built houses. For the Serbian Army, the Red Cross, among other things, equipped and sent from America complete dental units, furnished supplies and equipment to Serbian Army hospitals, established canteens for con- valescent soldiers and sent clothing to Serbian prisoners in Bulgaria. Mention should also be made of a contribution of $50,000 to the Serbian Red Cross, and of the aid extended to the Serbian Government in caring for prisoners of war (see page 79). RUSSIA In August, 191 7, the Red Cross sent a commission of specialists to Russia for the purpose of assisting this country in the same way it was helping other Allied nations. However, because of the disor- ganized state of the country, it was impossible to carry out the full original plan. The commission, on its arrival in Russia, was accorded the hearty support of the Provisional Government then in power and the co- operation of the Russian Red Cross, the Sanitary Department of the Russian Army, and the Union of Zemstvos. The increasingly chaotic conditions in Russia, however, made the work more and more difficult, until in March, 191 8, with the German advance on Petrograd, the commission was forced to abandon its program and move to Moscow, where it stayed doing what it could until October, 1918, when it was ordered out. Despite these difficulties, many important things were accomplished, some of which are mentioned in the paragraphs that follow. A complete ambulance unit of 125 cars was sent from America for service with the Russian Army. During the winter and spring of 191 8 the Red Cross distributed 450,060 cans of condensed milk, helping 25,000 babies, a large number of whom would otherwise undoubtedly have perished. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 83 During the summer of 191 8, a large number of American and Allied citizens were assisted through distributions of food, clothing and medical supplies. The wretched condition of 25,000 people employed on the Mur- mansk railroad was improved by large shipments of foodstuffs. In July, 1918, the Red Cross sent an expedition to Archangel to assist the American troops operating in this northern section of the world. Red Cross work in the Archangel district has included the operation of a hospital, the distribution of comforts to American and Allied soldiers and the relief of destitute civilians. With the assistance of the chief surgeon of the American forces the Red Cross operated a 100 bed hospital in Archangel. On December 20, 1918, there were 80 patients in this hospital, most of whom were American soldiers. SIBERIA As the opportunities for effective work in European Russia gradu- ally narrowed, an enormous field for necessary work opened up in Siberia. An appeal for help came from the leaders of the Czecho- slovak troops fighting in that district. Wounded soldiers were pour- ing into Vladivostok, with inadequate facilities available. In response to this appeal, the Red Cross sent representatives to Siberia in June, 1918, and rushed men and supplies from the United States, cooperating from the start with the Far East chapters of the Red Cross. From this start the Red Cross work in Siberia has rapidly expanded to cover many phases of military and civilian relief, with a personnel of nearly 350 Red Cross workers on February 28, 1919. The work was still being extended on that date, so that the text which follows gives only a partial idea of Red Cross work in Siberia. The huge area to be covered, extending for 4,126 miles along the Trans-Siberian Railway as indicated on Map 15 on page 84, the extreme cold, and the multiplicity of tongues and currencies are factors making Red Cross work in Siberia very difficult. Medical Service The medical service for the benefit of American and Allied troops and numerous refugees, was probably the most important work carried on by the Red Cross. It involved equipping and operating hospitals and dispensaries, the distribution of drugs and other medical supplies, the establishment and operation of baths and disinfecting plants, and the equipping and maintenance of an anti-typhus sanitary train. 84 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS ' r^-^^\ ARCTIC / ^^^--w OCEAN / ^S I B E R I AyV RUSSIA. ^ ^ Ji SVLADIVO JAPAN SEA . SEA / .HOTSK . V f ^ffl TOKYO PACIFIC OCEAN -''^^^-''A/VvJ EMPIRE I£S 4* / p E Rs ia/ ^*\^y ^~-^Dw ^"^^ ^ Map IS. 22 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Siberia, June, 1918, to February, 1919 During the period covered by this report, the Red Cross operated five hospitals, as shown in table below: Table 48 HOSPITALS OPERATED BY THE RED CROSS IN SIBERIA July I, IQ18 — February 28, igig Name of Hospital Buchedu Tuberculosis Hospital . . . Omsk Hospital Russian Island Hospital (Vladivostok) Tumen Hospital Vladivostok Refugee Hospital . . . Total Bed Capacity 100 500 250 350 250 1.450 Patients Treated 300 773 600 722 700 3.09s Patient Days 6,000 16,050 50,000 23.113 20,000 11S.163 STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 85 In addition to this hospital work, the Red Cross furnished equipment and supplies to a large number of Siberian hospitals, including such items as beds, mattresses, blankets, operating tables, instruments, drugs, surgical dressings and food. An important part in the fight against typhus was taken by a com- plete Red Cross sanitary train made up of bath, boiler, tank, steriliz- ing, dressing, hair-clipping and other cars. This train, manned by Red Cross workers, went into infected districts applying modern sanitary methods. Other anti-typhus work included the establishment of an isolation hospital in Vladivostok and the operation of a bathing and delousing station at Ekaterinburg which, up to February 28, 191 9, had given 30,000 treatments. Camp Service The military relief service of the Red Cross in Siberia, in addition to the medical service just referred to, includes various services for American and Allied soldiers, such as the distribution of comforts and the operation of home service and a communication service. During the Christmas season of 191 8 all the American troops in and around Vladivostok were given comforts and other supplies, including 6,000 comfort bags made by the Japan Chapter of the American Red Cross. At the same time the members of the Russian Railway Service Corps, composed of American railway men, were given knitted articles and other necessary supplies. Altogether 10,000 Americans in Siberia have received presents of supplies through the Red Cross. In Western Siberia, the Red Cross has assisted the Czecho-Slovak and other troops operating in this section. Some of the more impor- tant supplies distributed among these forces are listed below: Table 49 SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED BY THE RED CROSS IN WESTERN SIBERIA July I, 1918 — February 28, 1919 Boots 150,000 (prs.) Pajamas 100,000 (suits) Sheepskin coats 10,000 Shirts 100,000 Socks 200,000 (prs.) Sweaters 120,000 Underwear 200,000 (suits) 86 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS The home and communication services, in cooperation with these activities in America, straightened out the home troubles of American soldiers and kept the families and friends of these soldiers informed concerning their health and whereabouts. Refugee Relief The refugee relief work of the Red Cross in Siberia has involved many and varied activities, such as the provision of lodging, food, clothing, medical service, employment and educational facilities. Table 50 gives some statistics of this work. Table 50 REFUGEE RELIEF WORK OF THE RED CROSS IN SIBERIA July I, igi8 — February 28, igig Meals given to refugees 7,000 Refugees housed 1,000 Refugees repatriated 1,200 One of the chief problems confronting the refugee service of the Red Cross has been to provide shelter for the many refugees who poured into the Siberian cities from all directions. This problem was especially acute in Vladivostok, where there were hundreds of homeless Russians, Armenians and Serbians. To relieve this housing situation, the Red Cross equipped and operated a number of refugee barracks, where lodging was furnished and meals were served. These bar- racks not only protected the inmates from the wind and weather, but also served as a practical means of teaching cleanliness and sanitation. Two sewing rooms, a weaving establishment and a tailor shop were operated by the Red Cross at Vladivostok to furnish employment for refugees. In the sewing rooms 6,500 garments had been turned out to December 31, 1918. Particular attention was devoted by the Red Cross to the care of the many refugee children in Siberia. Schools were operated in Vladivos- tok, and seven groups of children from Petrograd living at various places in Western Siberia received Red Cross assistance. PALESTINE AND NEAR EAST Until the British began their advance into Palestine it was not possible for the Am^erican Red Cross to offer direct aid to the countless thousands of sufferers in these areas. STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 87 Prior to that time, a great deal of relief had been carried on in Armenia, Persia, Syria, the Russian Caucasus and Mesopotamia by the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief. Even after the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Turkey this work went on with scarcely a hitch. To February 28, 1919, the American Red Cross had contributed to this committee $4,500,000 in money and $1,444,032.54 in supplies. In March, 191 8, the American Red Cross sent a Commission to operate in Palestine and the Near East. The Commission reached Port Said on June 11 and commenced active operations in Jerusalem on July 4, 1918. The operations of the Commission to February 28, 1919, extended to 54 towns and villages, indicated on Map 16 (page 88), and engaged 144 Red Cross workers. The statistics which follow indicate the extent of the work in the Jerusalem district from July i, 1918, to February 28, 1919. Work in the Beirut and Aleppo districts was started in November, 191 8, and January, 191 9, respectively, along similar lines. In the Jerusalem or southern district the work of the Red Cross extended as far north as Acre and as far south as Port Said. The medi- cal service in this district included the operation of twelve hospitals and sixteen dispensaries. Table 51 gives some statistics concerning this phase of the work. Table 51 MEDICAL SERVICE OF THE RED CROSS IN THE JERUSALEM DISTRICT July I, igi8 — February 28, igig Persons treated in dispensaries and clinics: Men 21,000 Women 39,000 Children 67,000 127,000 Physicians' services supplied 10,500 Mothers with young babies receiving milk diet 9.500 Invalids receiving three meals a day 12,000 Special patients regularly receiving milk diet 500 Patients receiving milk diet for short period 1,500 88 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS MEDITERRANEAN SEA Tyrefr •* 9 Damascus Aleppo Map i6. 54 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Palestine and the Near East, July, 1918, to February, 191Q STATEMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT 89 The motor service of the Red Cross rendered invaluable assistance throughout the Jerusalem district, transporting nearly 28,000 refugees and invalids a total mileage of 119,981 during the eight months ending February 28, 1919. The work among children in the Jerusalem district included the operation of orphanages, day nurseries and schools in which reading, writing, arithmetic and various trades were taught. A few statistics of this part of the work are given in the following table: Table 52 RED CROSS WORK AMONG CHILDREN IN THE JERUSALEM DISTRICT July J, IQ18 — February 28, igig Children regularly cared for in orphanages 600 Children regularly cared for in day nurseries 85 Children regularly taught in schools 725 Children regularly receiving special mid-morning meal 650 In addition to the services shown above, the Red Cross rendered assistance to refugees in the Jerusalem district by furnishing employ- ment to 5,000 men and women. The productive activities carried on included weaving, sewing, cooking, wall building, brick making and farming. The major accomplishments of this industrial and agricul- tural service are shown in Table 53. Table S3 RED CROSS INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICE IN THE JERUSALEM DISTRICT July I, igiS — February 28, igig Cloth made 49.S50 (yds.) Thread spun 176 (lbs.) Bedding sets made 2,502 Garments made 240,106 Hammocks, tennis-nets, etc., made 116 Handkerchiefs, drawn work, rugs, etc., made 52,171 Buns, fruitcakes, gingerbread, etc., made 3.340,055 Garden acres planted and cultivated 60 90 WORK OF AMERICAN RED CROSS OTHER ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS These are so numerous that mention below is made only of the more important. Since the signing of the armistice, the Red Cross has sent a unit into Poland cooperating with the food supply organization of the Allied countries by covering the important field of emergency relief lying outside the furnishing of food. This unit carried on such activities as furnishing clothing and medical service, assisting in the establishment of a national health bureau, establishing dispensaries for immediate relief of sickness and suffering, etc. A Red Cross unit was sent also into Germany, cooperating with the military authorities in caring for Russian and Allied prisoners in that country. The American Red Cross took a leading part in the organization of the League of Red Cross Societies, designed to unite the Red Cross societies of the world in active cooperation against the miseries which arise from disease and disaster. Mention should also be made of the collection of old clothing for liberated countries in Europe in response to a request from the Hoover Commission. The Red Cross conducted this campaign through its chapters and paid the charges of assembling these clothes to the point of shipment.