developed before long into a colossal catastrophe; second,
to organize ample means of caring for all the various needs
of our own army. For the solution of this problem we had
three possessions of value: the first was the machine which
our predecessors in control of the Red Cross had worked to
build up; the second was a now rapidly growing membership
and Chapter organization; the third, -- and of inestimable
importance in the work of expanding the machine and of
putting it on a war footing, -- was the volunteer service of
an army of some of the most competent, aggressive, and
experienced men in the country, and of women who had
brains, initiative, and the inborn quality of leadership.
Indeed, the day was an exceptional one which did not reveal
new Red Cross assets of superlative value. It began to
be borne in upon us that we had not more than half read the
Red Cross balance sheet.

It was not a matter of sentiment alone that brought the
War Council, at its very first meeting, to a realization that
our duty was to get help to France; on the contrary, it
was a clear business proposition to ascertain without a
minute's delay just what was needed there first and to
start it on its way there as early as possible. We had a
sufficiently clear picture of the situation; what we needed
was to measure it up, even if only tentatively, in the terms
of necessary dollars.

Then it was that the Red Cross asked General Pershing
what it could do for him, and almost immediately came
his answering cable: --

"If you want to do something for me for God's sake 'buck up the
French.' They have been fighting for three years and are getting ready
for their fourth winter. They have borne a tremendous burden, and
whatever assistance we can lend them promptly will be of the greatest
possible value."

It must not, however, for a moment be supposed that
the spirit of the poilu was broken or that he was not fighting

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