THE COLONIST. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1919. THE BRITISH RED CROSS.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15095, 11 June 1919, Page 4

THE COLONIST. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1919. THE BRITISH RED CROSS.

An indication of the magnitude of the operations of the joint organisation of the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John in the last year of the war is . furnished by a statement bringing the record down to the cessation of hostilities. For the twelve months ended October 20th last the total expenditure was upwards of £7,000,000. The income, happily, was sufficient to meet this huge bill and leave a considerable margin on the year's working. The average weekly income rose from | £58,927 in 1916 to £142,796 in 1918, and the average weekly expenditure from £34,911 to £139,294. "Our Day" appeal in October last realised £3,520,044, or £942,000 above the total of any previous year, and donations in 1918 amounted to £4,245,560, an increase of nearly £2,500,000 on the corresponding figure for 1917, while gifts of stores represented a value of £198,823. Management expenses amounted to only 3d in the pound on total income. It is stated that the great increase in expenditure last year was due to the continuous growth of the operations of the stores and the central prisoners of war departments. Expenditure on stores , amounted to £3,307,270, and, including purchases on behalf of the American Red Cross (a recoverable expenditure),was £2,300,000 more than in 1917, or an increase of over 200 per cent. In a. large degree the increase was due to the higher cost of goods, but it has to be remembered that not only the great retreat in France in March, 191fJ, with the enforced abandonment and necessary replenishment of field ambulances, casualty clearing stations, and other advanced medical unite, but the equally rapid victorious Allied advance later in the year made enormous demands upon the stores department. Throughout the year every proper requisition was met promptly and fully. The work of the central prisoners of war department grew enormously during the year. In February, 1918, the average fortnightly expenditure was £59,000; by October 20 the cost of relief had risen to £123.500 a week. The increase was mainly on food parcels sent direct to prisoners in enemy countries, of stores supplied to regimental and other committees, and grants to regimental committees. Towards the close of the financial year the Red Cross had become responsible, through the central prisoners of war committee, for the despatch direct of food parcels to some 45,000 captive men, and of bread through Berne and Copenhagen Bread Bureau to all prisoners in Germany, about 150,000 men. The Bread Bureau at Copenhagen had to be considerably enlarged during the year, and large quantities of flour' were purchased and shipped from America direct to it. An emergency store was established in Rotterdam, and large food supplies were sent on requisition to all the main camps in Germany, to meet the immediate needs of newly-captured prisoners and men transferred from other camps. Besides this, it is now known, that many..prisoners were registered at specific camps when captured, but were placed in labour gangs behind the firing-line They did not, therefore, receive the parcels addressed to them at the camps. For their succour, and for other prisoners who were not registered at all, large sums were placed at the disposal of the British section of the Netherlands Legation in Brussels, which endeavoured to get in touch with these prisoners and give each a daily allowance. How far the policy and activities of the Red Cross in these directions were successful is known from tlio testimony of the prisoners who returned from Germany after the armi^ tice. There was a remarkable growth uf Keel Cross expenditure in France and Belgium during the period under leviow. In 1915 it amounted to «:294,394; in 1916 it was £191,768; in 1917 £501,436, and in 1918 £758,698 These figures do not include the cost of umbulance transport of the wounded, which in all war areas last year cost G275,60K5. The work of the commission n France was carried out under great pressure. Night after night the staff at headquarters - were .disturbed by air '-aids; in March, during the great reii'eat, they were", faced .with the neces-

•sity of moving many units, and in May' tho bombing of the St. John Brigade Hospital took place. Tho expenditure on stores was £560,024, of which £467.000, or 83 per «mt. was on supplies to military authorities, as disi tinct from Red Cross hospitals and units. Of this latter sum £310,000 represents issues from advanced depots to the casualty clearing stations, field ambulances, and rest stations situated • nearest the front, where the wounded were most in need of succour.