The Red Cross in Wartime

Our esteemed colleague Le Jour published an article calling attention to the importance of the Red Cross in relieving the sufferings of humanity, in days of war and in days of peace alike. We have chosen to reproduce it in the pages of "The Woman's Voice," in the hope that it may prove a spur moving our readers to give all that lies in their power to strengthen this noble undertaking.

The statistics we have seen show that the American Red Cross society numbered, twenty years ago, more than thirty million active members and six million auxiliary members belonging to its various societies. Japan, in that same year — the year 1927 — numbered some four million members, active and auxiliary together. As for Europe, the number there was immense, though it did not reach what it reached in America and Japan.

Since the Second World War, however, the need for the works of the Red Cross society has become so pressing that the number of members in all the countries of the world has begun to grow very greatly indeed.

If we cite all these figures, it is in order to show the importance of this world institution, so that Lebanese citizens may form an accurate idea of it. The Red Cross society is among the broadest of humanitarian institutions — this the Lebanese Red Cross society acknowledges as well, and it has now been recognized by Geneva.

And if the mission of the Red Cross is of very great importance in time of war, it is no less important in days of peace. It aids the victims of war, comforts the sick, assists the widows, feeds the orphans, rebuilds ruined towns, erects hospitals, attends to the health of children, and performs humanitarian works beyond all counting. All this should move us, Lebanese men and women, to put forth our mightiest efforts to make of the Lebanese Red Cross society a powerful force for drawing hearts together and uniting minds. A large company among us has already, up to this very hour, performed works deserving of every thanks and every appreciation; and it is such works that make of this humanitarian institution a useful Lebanese institution — nor is that any hard thing for those in authority and for people of good will.