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Show "WASHINGTON i NE4WS Ec km FROM OUR CONGRESSMAN W. IC GRANGER Ked Cross In The Southwest Pacific. Pa-cific. 1 The President's wife made her f r.-t public report on Red Cross ac-t'vltie.s ac-t'vltie.s in the S.uthwrst Pacific iO the Red Cros Sing'cal Drcssinj Unit of Congresslrnal and Senatorial Sena-torial wives. I She reported that flthough she had worked in he Red Cross tiring the last World War. and had seen them in artion in England last year, yet she had no', realised the scope of their "colossal" task in this "Colossal" war. she spoke with frankness and an Informality that impressed even the critics of Tier recent assignment, mainly because she spoke from the heart. She urged these women to greater great-er efforts, c ting he needs for more , help and greater shipments of their supplies to Ivs area of combat. She mentioned the ingenuity of American Ameri-can Red Cross wo:kers In thr field. In setting up emeig ney stations and rest homes on Islands where , there were no st-res from which to purch;se even the bare ncces-M ncces-M ies with which t0 make these , laces liveable. Specifically she mentioned men-tioned the use of empt'ed oil drums for hot and cold showers built in I the open wi h wood fires kept burn- ing to insure hot water, as well as the use of builap for draperies and upholstering, and said in every case, ihese places were made attractive regardless 0f the dearth of material with which to work. The problem of morale building among the men who have served In ihese lonely de erted Islands for months and even years presents its dramatic s orles too. She mentioned that on one Island of 900 men removed re-moved from the combat area there were but two Red Crass workers a man and a woman, who had the entire responsibility or en ertain-ment ertain-ment for these men. In an effot to find some hing for them to do to occupy their time, these Ingenious Ingen-ious workrrs had svaglrd tiny Parts of metal, glass and anything else available from wrecked planes and brought them to the bedside cf these convalescent men and taught them to make tiny bracelets, brace-lets, etc.. which they could send home to their loved ones for Christmas. Christ-mas. Such activities had proven most helpful in lifting the morale of these men so far removed from the world they knew and ldved. Mrs. Roosevelt pleaded for greater great-er thought and understanding a-mong a-mong those of us who are here at home to welcome these valiant men from the fighting fronts, emphasizing emphasiz-ing the Tact that we must be ready to accept those changes that have taken place within these men be ready to accept these changes with, out comment, and make every effort ef-fort to assist them In their readjustment read-justment to normal living. Her closing remarks can best he expressed by her own wort's: "I have returned home with the greatest great-est admiration for this generation because of the splendid work of these men and women in the fighting fight-ing services. "I hope we who are her at home will realise our responsibility In maintaining and bulklln? the kind of a world to which they expect and want to return." |