A little more than a year ago the American National Red Cross, just
reorganized, consisted only of its sixty-five incorporators. Since then
it has not only organized Branches in twenty-six States and Territories,
but it has justified the claim that there is need for such an
organization in times of peace as well as war “to continue and carry on
a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply
the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire,
floods and other great national calamities,” as stated in its charter, by
the assistance it has rendered after the typhoon of September 26, 1905,
in the Philippines, in the relief of the famine sufferers in Japan, to a
limited extent by the contributions sent for the victims of the Vesuvius
eruption, and lastly by its relief work after the great calamity that has
befallen San Francisco and its vicinity. Reports in regard to some of
this relief work are contained in this third Bulletin.
The Central Committee proposes later to issue to the officers of Branches
a circular letter recommending the appointment in all cities and towns of
Emergency Relief Committees consisting of representative citizens, and of
which the Mayor should be ex-officio chairman, which will be called into
active service only at times of great national calamities.
A translation is given in this Bulletin of the invitation extended
through the International Committee of Geneva by the British Red Cross to
all other Red Cross Societies to attend a Red Cross Congress to be held
in London, June, 1907.
The European Red Cross Societies have tens and hundreds of thousands
of members, and the Japanese has a membership of 1,035,000. The United
States, so long delayed in the creating of a great national Red Cross,
must make up for lost time by its activity and energy. To increase the
membership of the American Red Cross and thereby its efficiency and
strength the individual personal efforts of its members must be depended
upon. A national pride should be felt in the American Red Cross, and all
Americans, men, women and even children, who are able to pay the dollar
a year dues or twenty-five dollars for life-membership, should become
members of our National Red Cross. Application blanks will be found in
each Bulletin with the addresses of the Branch Secretaries to whom such
applications can be sent.