The Work of the ARC during the War
Introduction and Table of Contents

To the American People:

Herein is. contained in the form of figures a report of money contributed and expended, as well as the work done by the American Red Cross, during the period in which the War Council was in control 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 contained 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 obligations of large proportions on behalf of humanity. There was widespread 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 carefully 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 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

Foreword
List of diagrams .
List of tables
List of maps
Statement of Red Cross accomplishments

Chapter I. Summary of Financial Operations .

General
Chapter finances
Finances of national headquarters

Chapter II. Membership and war drives

General
Membership
--Summary
--Adult membership .
--Junior Membership
--Revenues from membership
War drives

Chapter III. Work in the United States .

General
Chapter activities
--Production of relief articles
--Home service---work for the families of soldiers and sailors
--Canteen service
--Motor corps service
--Red Cross Work in Spanish influenza epidemic
--Instruction in first aid
Activities of the national and divisional organizations
--Nursing service
--Camp service
--Sanitary service
--Communication work
--Disaster relief
--Life-saving work
--Organization of base hospitals
--Organization of ambulance companies
--Other medical and hospital work
--Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men
--Red Cross Institute for the Blind
--Supplies operations in the United States
--Personnel
--The administrative organization in the United States

Chapter IV. Work in France .

General
Hospital and medical work, with armies and navy .
--Hospitals for American and Allied troops
--Convalescent homes for American soldiers
--Dispensaries and infirmaries for American soldiers
--Hospital supply service for American Army .
--Red Cross supply service for French hospitals .
--Production and supply of splints
--Production and supply of nitrous oxide and oxygen
--Reconstruction and re-education
Canteens .
--General
--Front-line canteens
--Line of communication canteens
--Aviation canteens
--Evacuation hospital canteens
--Metropolitan canteens
Recreational and welfare service for soldiers and sailors
Home and hospital service for soldiers and sailors .
--Hospital farms and gardens .
--Hospital recreational huts
--Home communication service .
--Grave photography
Civilian relief
--Relief of refugees
--Relief of French soldiers' families
--Children's relief work
--Anti-tuberculosis work .
Other activities

Chapter V. Work Elsewhere Overseas

General
Belgium
--Soldiers' relief service
--Relief of children
--Relief of civilians
Italy .
--Service for American soldiers and sailors .
--Medical and hospital service for the Italian Army
--Ambulance service for the Italian Army
--Canteen service for the Italian Army
--Relief of refugees
--Care of children .
--Other activities .
British Isles
--Hospital service
--Camp and canteen service
--Care of the shipwrecked
--Other activities
Switzerland .
--Prisoners' relief service
--Relief of civilians
Balkan States
--Roumania
--Serbia
Russia
Siberia .
--Medical service .
--Camp service
--Refugee relief
Palestine and Near East .
Other activities overseas

LIST OF DIAGRAMS

Diagram

1. Disposition of the average dollar spent by A. R. C
2 Value and distribution, by classes, of chapter-produced articles
3. Home service rendered to families of soldiers and sailors .
4. Purchased supplies shipped overseas for Red Cross work, classified by kind and value . .
5. Hospital days in Red Cross military hospitals in France, during months of America's most active service
6. Thousands of drinks served in Red Cross canteens at the front, by months .
7. American prisoners in German and Austrian prison camps aided by the Red Cross .

LIST OF TABLES

Table

1. Combined financial operations A. R. C. as a whole .
2. Chapter financial operations .
3. National headquarters financial operations
4. Fund balances, national headquarters
5. Resources composing fund balances, national headquarters
6. Adult membership, compared with population, by States
7. Junior Red Cross members and percentage of membership to school population, by States
8. Collected contributions, first and second war drives combined, with comparisons by States
9. Collections in foreign countries, first and second war drives
10. Classification of relief supplies produced by chapter workers .
11. Distribution of chapter-produced relief supplies
12. Classified list of relief articles produced by the Junior Red Cross
13. Refreshments served free by Red Cross canteens in U. S.
14. Supplies distributed free by Red Cross canteens in U. S.
15. Hours of service of Red Cross motor corps workers in U. S.
16. Red Cross buildings in camps in U. S
17. Some of the principal articles distributed free in camps and hospitals in U. S. by the Red Cross
18. Hospital services in U. S.
19. Home service cases in camps in U. S.
20. Red Cross sanitary service in the prevention of malaria in U.S.
21. Red Cross sanitary inspections
22. Public health nursing within sanitary zones
23. Classification of principal disasters in which the Red Cross rendered aid
24. Supplies transactions in U. S.
25. Tons of supplies shipped from U. S. overseas for Red Cross work
26. Schedule of personnel and salaries of the national organization .
27. Appropriations for cash expenditure in France
28. Work in twenty-four Red Cross military hospitals in France
29. Red Cross production and supply of nitrous oxide and oxygen
30. Red Cross aid to French mutilés
31. Red Cross aid to disabled American soldiers in France
32. Summary statistics of Red Cross canteens in France
33. Red Cross line of communication canteens
34. Red Cross aviation canteens
35. Red Cross canteens in evacuation hospitals
36. Red Cross metropolitan canteens
37. Red Cross hospital farms and gardens in France
38. Red Cross moving pictures for hospitals
39. Red Cross home communication service in France
40. Relief of French refugees
41. Children's relief work in France
42. Anti-tuberculosis work in France
43. Appropriations for cash expenditure elsewhere overseas
44. Red Cross work among refugees in Italy
45. A few of the supplies distributed by the Red Cross among refugees in Italy
46. Some of the principal articles distributed free to American soldiers and sailors in the British Isles .
47. Supplies furnished American prisoners .
48. Hospitals operated by the Red Cross in Siberia
49. Supplies distributed by the Red Cross in Western Siberia
50. Refugee relief work of the Red Cross in Siberia
51. Medical service of the Red Cross in the Jerusalem district
52. Red Cross work among children in the Jerusalem district
53. Red Cross industrial and agricultural service in the Jerusalem district

LIST OF MAPS

Map

1. 3,724 Red Cross chapters by States and divisions
2. Percentage of adult membership to population, by States
3. Percentage of school children of the United States who were Junior Red Cross members, by States
4. Per cent. to wealth of combined collections in both Red Cross war drives, by States
5. Value of chapter-produced articles, by divisions, per chapter member
6. 3,618 home service sections, by States
7. 700 Red Cross canteens in U. S.
8. 339 military and naval stations in U. S. where camp service was conducted
9. 37 Red Cross sanitary units in U. S.
10. 551 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in France
11. 141 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Italy
12. 329 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in the British Isles
13. 25 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Switzerland
14. 13 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Roumania
15. 22 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Siberia
16. 54 stations from which the Red Cross rendered service in Palestine and the Near East

Go to Chapter I