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Show I. LARGE SIS M Net Total of $325,000,000 Paid in by Americans for I Relief Work. NEW YORK, Oct, 23 The American Ameri-can people have either paid in or pledged to the American Red Cross for Its work of. relief throughout the -world, in money or material values, not total of at least $325,0000,000. The American Red Cross has a to-j to-j tal membership of 20.C4S.103 and, in addition, S.OOO.OOO members in the Junior Red Cross; a total enrollment of more than on.c-fourth the population popula-tion of the United States. American Red Cross workers pro duced up to July 1 last a total of 221.2S2.S38 articles of an estimated estimat-ed value of $14,000,000. About S, 000,000 women are engaged in canteen work and the production I of relief supplies. The American Red Cross is distributing distrib-uting aid in ten countries the United States, England, France, Italy, Belgium, Bel-gium, Switzerland. Palestine. Greece, Russia, and Siberia. Besides it has sent representatives to, Serbia, Den-inarlc Den-inarlc and Madeira. More than 5.000 Americans will, be IFraicc by Jan 1 ne.L These facts were laid before the 3,851 chapters of the Red Cross in the annual message of the War Council of the Red Cross when the chapters throughout the country today held i their annual meetings to elect offi cers, i Announcement was made in the I message that every man, woman and I child in the United States would bo asked at Christmas time- to enroll in ' the American Red Cross. I I The mesage, signed by Henry P I Davidson, chairman of the war coun- I , cil, said in part: Since the beginning of the war, ou of the chapters have co-operated with the War Council in conducting j two war fund drives and one mem - ' bership drive, in addition to the cam- I palgn on behalf of the Junior Red 1 Cross. The total actual collections ! to date from the first war fund have j amounted to more than $115,000,000. j ; The subscriptions to the second war I Iiuiiu aiuuuiucu ivj uj Muiuo ui yxiu. ; 000.000. From membership dues the ! collections have amounted to approxi- matcly $24,500,000. ! "To the foregoing must be added that very large contribution of materials ma-terials and time given by the millions i of women throughout the country. For the period up to July 1. 191$, American Red Cross chapters, through 1 their workrooms had produced 400,- ' 1 120 refugees garments; 7.123,G2l h03- i j pital supplies; 10.7SG,4S9 hospital I garments: 10,131, i01 knilcd articles; 192.74S.107 surgical dressings; a to- j ' tal of 221.2S2.S3S articles of an .es- j i timaled aggregate value of at least i $44,000,000. "These articles were largely the product of women's hands, and, by the same token, infinitely more precious pre-cious than could have been the out?-, put of factories or machines. These articles going lo the opera' ting rooms of the nospitals, lo homeless or needy I refugees, and carrying comfort to our own hoys in the field, convey a mes- i i sago of love from the women of this ! I country entirely distinct from the J 'great money value attached v to their' handiwork. 4 I "By the terms undir which the first ; Red Cross ,war fund was raised, the : chapters were entitled to retain 25 per cent of the amount collected. In order to defray local expenses, to carry car-ry on their home service work, to purchase pur-chase materials to be utilized in chapter production and otherwise to meet the numerous calls made upon them. The chapters were thus entitled en-titled to retain nearly $29,000,000. ArJ a matter of fact, their actual leten-I leten-I Hons amounted to only about $22,- 000.000. Out of collections. from annual an-nual memberships, the chapters have retained about $11,000,000. "From this total sum, therefore, of $33,000,000 retained by the chapters they have met all .the oftentimes very heavy local demands upon them, and I in addition have provided for use by I National Headquarters products val- I ued at upwards of $44,000,000. I ' The chapters have In effect returned I to the War Council, not alone the $33,- and membership dues but, in valuo of actual- product, an additional con-I con-I trlbution of at least $11,000,000. . "It will thus be seen that during the eighteen months which have elapsed elaps-ed since the United States entered the war, the American people will have either paid in or pledged to the American Ameri-can Red Cross for its work of relief throughout the world in money or in material values, net total of at least $325,000,000. "This outpouring of generosity in material things has been accompanied by a spontaneity in the giving, by an enthusiasm and a devotion in the doing, which, after all, arc greater and bigger than could be anything measured meas-ured in terms of time or dollars. "It has been because of this spirit which has pervaded all American Red Cross effort in this war that the aged governor of one of the stricken and battered provinces of France stated, not long since, that, though France had long known of America's greatness, great-ness, strength and enterprise, it remained re-mained for the American Red Cross in this war to reveal America's heart." "In this country, at this moment, the workers of the Red Cross through its chapters, are helping to add to the comfort and health of the millions of our soldiers in 102 camps and cantonments, canton-ments, as well as of those'travcling on railroad trains or embarking on ships for duty overseas. "The Homo Service of the Red Cross with its now more than 40,000 workers, work-ers, is extending its ministrations of sympathy and counsel each month to upwnrds of 100,000 families left behind by soldiers at the front a number over growing with the increase of our men under arms. "But of course, the heart of the Red Cross and its money and attention always al-ways move toward and fpurs themselves them-selves in Europe. Nothing is withheld that can be given over there to supplement supple-ment the efforts of our army and navy caring for our own boys. Our satisfaction satisfac-tion is in the result, which, we are assured as-sured by Secretary Baker. General Pershing, General Ireland and all our leaders, is of inestimable value and of indispensable importance. "By the. first of January, your Red Cross will have working in France upwards up-wards of 5000 Americans a vivid contrast to the little group of eighteen men and women, which, as the first Red Cross commission to France, sailed sail-ed about Juno 1, 1917, to initiate our efforts in Europe. "Under your commission to France the work has been carefully organized, facilities have been provided, and effective ef-fective efforts made to so co-operate with the army as to carry out the determination de-termination of the American people, and especially of the members of the Red Cross, that our boys "over there'' shall lack for nothing which may add to their safety, comfort and happiness. "Your Red Cross now has active, operating commissions in France, in England, in Italy, in Belgium, in Switzerland, Swit-zerland, in Palestine and in Greece. You have sent a shipload of relief supplies sup-plies and a group of devoted workers to northern Russia; you have dispatched dis-patched a commission to work behind our armies in eastern Siberia; you! have sent special, representatives to Denmark. In Sorbin nnd fn tho Tslrinri of Madcria. "Your Red Cross is thus extending relief to iho armies and navies of our allies. We are told by those best informed in-formed in the countries of our allies! that the efforts of your Red Cross to, aid the soldiers and to sustain the! morale of the civilian populations left j.at home, especially in France and .Italy, have constituted a very real fac-tor fac-tor in winning the war. "What the Red Cross may be called upon to do in the further course of the 'war, or with the coming of victory, peace and reconstruction, it would be i Idle to attempt to prophesy. But your j great organisation, in very truth "the , mobilized heart and spirit of the whole) American people, "has shown itself i I equal lo any call, ready to respond to , i any emergency. We cannot but believe! that this wonderful spirit which serv- j jicc in and for the Red Cross has evok- j ' cd in this war, is destined to become in . our national life an element of permanent per-manent value. "At Christmas time we shall ask the whole American people to answer the Red Cross Christmas roll call. It will ' constitute an unique appeal to every mnn, woman and child in this great; landgf ours to become enrolled in our army of mercy. It is the hope of the War council that this Christmas membership mem-bership roll call shall constitute a re-consecration re-consecration of the whole American people, an Inspiring reassertion to j mankind that in this hour of world tragedy, not to conquer but to servo is America's supreme aim." nn I |