The American National Red Cross did re lief work in the Russian famine of 1892, and in Armenia in 1896t The Red Cross work in Cuba during the war, as measured by service and contributions, was phenomenal. The total value of gifts, in cluding cash donations, reached nearly $4,000, 000. When peace was declared, there yet re mained starvation, sickness, disease, destitution, and desolation on the island. The Red Cross continued indefatigable in its work. In all its Cuban undertakings volunteer assistance and contributions of supplies were received from France, England, Belgium, Holland, Switzer land, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Mexico. The American National Red Cross also rendered efficient aid after the - following disasters: Johnstown flood, 1889; Galveston flood, 1900; San Francisco earthquake and fire, 1906; Cherry Mine disaster, 1909; Chinese famine, 1910; Italian earthquake, 1908; Minnesota forest fires, 1910; Luzon eruption, 1911; Triangle waist factory fire, 1911; Titanic sinking, 1912; Mississippi flood, 1912; Ohio flood, 1912; Salem (Mass.) fire, 1914•, Eastland disaster, 1915; Indiana cyclone, 1917, and many minor casual ties. In the Mexican perrila warfare and the Balkan Wars the society was also active as well as in Manchuria, in the pneumonic plague.
National Support.— The governments of the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Italy give no regular financial support to the Red Cross societies. In 1882 Congress appro, priated $1,000 for printing Red Cross litera ture; and since then, from time to time, has appropriated various sums for special purposes, Before the war, in Germany the government granted the society permission to hold occasional lotteries to secure funds. France allowed an indemnity of 20 cents a day for each sick or wounded soldier cared for by the society in time of war. The Netherlands government paid the salary of the secretary, provided office quarters, allowed $400 a year for office ex penses, paid the traveling expenses of an offices whose duties in connection with the work of the society may necessitate his leaving his home. Belgium gave financial support in time of war: Denmark contributed annually $1,000. Austria gave $2,400 annually for assistance in case of epidemics or great calamities. Switzerland ap propriated $5,000 annually for a special pur pose. The emperor and empress of Japan gave annually $1,250. Russia paid for men taken care of by the society in time of war, at a rate agreed upon with the minister of war. In 1900 the emperor sanctioned a tax of two and one half cents on certain railroad tickets and $2.50 on passports, such extra tax to be for the benefit of the Red. Cross Society. The mem bership of the society just before the war wad approximately as follows: In the United States, 298 members of the National Society; France, 55,000; Austria, 52,209; Hungary, 42,041; Japan, 894,814; Germany, main branch and affiliated societies, 300,000.
The American Red Cross has experienced a tremendous development growing out of the World War. In May 1917, President Wilson, as the head of the organization, appointed a war council to supervise its activities, The mein bers were Henry P. Davidson (of J. P. Morgan and Company), Charles D. Norton, Cornelius N. Bliss, Jr., and Grayson M. P. Murphy of New York; and John D. Ryan, of Butte, Mont.; also (ex officio) William Howard Taft and Eliot Wadsworth (chairman and vice chairman of the executive committee). By proclamation the President made the week of June 18-25 the period for a nation-wide campaign for funds, and this resulted in the raising of over $100,000,000 for Red Cross rork. During the five months, May to October inclusive, the membership rose from less than 500,000 to 5,000,000, and the number of chap ters from 582 to 2736. Arrangement was made by which the trio:heal department of the army gave sank to leading Red Cross officials as -fames: Chairmen of central committees and war council were created major-generals; members of the war council were made brigadier-generals; the director-general was commissioned a colonel, and his assistant and the commissioner, lieutenant-colonels; while the various • Red Cross directors were assimilated as'majors. Harvey D. Gibson, president of the
Liberty 'National Bank of New York, was named as general manager of the Red Cross at Washington; with colonels under him as di•ector-generals of the various activities. The chapters throughout the conntry were gathered into' 14 divisions, under division managers: New England, office Boston; Atlantic, • office New • York; Pennsylvania,. office Philadelphia; Potomac, office Washington; Southern, office Atlanta; Lake, office Cleveland; Central, office Chicago; Gulf, office New Orleans ; South western, office Saint Louis; Northern, office Minneapolis; Mountain, office North western, office Seattle; Pacific, office San Francisco; Insular and Foreign, office Wash itigt(11, P.
The workers in the chapters manufacture surgical dressings, hospital supplies, knitted gar ments and comfort kits. Through the bureau of supplies they receive their materials at cost. The war council and most of the import ant positions command no salaries; all time is given free, except routine workers, many of whom receive small salaries to provide their living. The individual chapters each deliver their productions to the warehouse of their division. Major Grayson M. P. Murphy was one of the first to reach France, where he established American Red Cross headquarters in Paris, and made the arrangements to serve the American troops. He was made a member of General Pershing's staff to facilitate his work. A program was laid out to work in harmony with the Young Men's Christian Association, which also had headquarters in France. Hospital units were systematically organized, with a minimum personnel of 241, and mustered' into the United States Army Medical Corps. Each unit was designed to serve at least 500 patients. Nearly 50 such hospital units had been organized by 1 Jan. 1918. This quick work would have been impossible, had it not been laid ont and started long before America's entrance into the war. The Red Cross organization is rightfully proud of the fact that within six weeks after the President's declaration that a state of war existed, they had six hospital units ready, which were the first detachments of the American army to join the Allies. Their efforts were by no means confined to caring for American troops. They had a chain of warehouses and motor trucks, that was supplying (Tan. 1918) 3,500 war hos pitals in France. They served hot meals to allied soldiers at the railway stations, furnished bathing, disinfecting and resting facilities for the men who had retired from the trenches to recuperate, and did an immense amount of use ful service. Especially did they care for refu gees and mutilated soldiers. They housed the refugees who came in, looked after their health and started them in the work of rebuilding destroyed villages and the like. These activities Were of course handled in co-operation with the French government, so that the work was harmonious with their own. Special efforts were also put forth to aid orphans, lost dren and babies for whom support was not provided. Because of the distressingly low French birthrate, and increased mortality, this work was of importance, and three groups of children's specialists were formed, a part of whose duties was to aid prospective mothers, and to make healthy children of the babies that were born. The German government shipped out of their lines practically all of the inefficient French population, and most of these found their way back to France via Switzerland. The American Red Cross helped an immense num ber of refugees, and carried on this work until a considerable time after the close of the war. They established a vast system for bringing in not only hospital supplies, but clothing and food. The shipping board co operated to assist them, and they sent sup plies and medical relief to nearly all the Allies, except Great Britain. Most of the cargo space for these supplies was donated by the steam ship companies, army transports accommodated them and passenger rates for Red Cross work ers were placed at the lowest possible figure.