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Show --fffMNjEACE AND WAR teief Vork by American Red Cross Brings Nationwide Resources fo Aid 2s Stricken by Fire, Flood or Winds necessary, with a supplementary grant from the national disaster relief re-lief appropriation. But when a chapter finds Itself It-self confronted by a major disaster, dis-aster, a countrywide concentration concen-tration of resources is the order or-der of the day. First the local officials notify one of the four area administrative headquarter headquar-ter in Alexandria, Va Atlanta, Atlan-ta, Ga., St. Louis, Mo., and San Francisco, Calif. If the area office finds that the problem is beyond its facilities. It calls upon national headquarters, which brings to bear the resources of the other areas. There are three resources that must quickly be put Into action. First, if the chapter in the disaster region lacks funds, the word is flashed to national headquarters l George C. Marshall rE the disaster relief the Red Cross is more and better understood ther service it renders. Ces nationwide, can be ought to the aid of ,mmunities. These re-sources re-sources are not solely In funds V, and trained work-a work-a ers but also In ' the organization's facility for mobil-q mobil-q izing the sym-V sym-V pathy of the na-f na-f tion when situa-R situa-R tions require it M and converting j&ithat sympathy into material , ,LL help. 'ty to rush aid wherever ' one of the greatest as-American as-American National Red instant a disaster occurs Iruss gets into actionem action-em outside the disaster ; aiso within the commu-'id commu-'id where the local chap-U' chap-U' preparedness plan func-tactly. func-tactly. Impulse to help some-, some-, listress Is a very hu-,ction. hu-,ction. It inspires the sonnel and the thou-volunteers thou-volunteers who give ie and talents to the ss. Their effectiveness rovlding prompt relief Us from the organiza-;work organiza-;work of 3,745 chapters branches In the United ts territories mnd In-ssessions. In-ssessions. i re only a few county ; ie United States without 3 chapter. There is scarce- ; n the country which does I n active branch, e three distinct phases ed Cross disaster opera-are opera-are preparedness for the imergency relief for the the form of food, cloth-r cloth-r and medical care; and on afterwards for those it finance their own re-is re-is last is the least under-frequently under-frequently the most im- ness means that the lo-r lo-r has a disaster commit-has commit-has planned for fast ac-ver ac-ver and wherever trouble i that the local chapter .standings with the police, pealth departments, with i I1 SOLICITUDE . . . Red Cross disaster worker Carl Meyers has mealtime chat with Kenneth, Ken-neth, Billie Jean and Judy Ann Lunceford of Hornersville, Mo., who were among the scores of children with their families who sought shelter during the threatened flooding of the Birds Point New Madrid flood-way flood-way last January. which authorizes an immediate grant or allotment so the chapter can carry on without delay. Or perhaps the chapter is small and needs experienced help. The area office will send workers from its regular staff and if more are needed it will recruit and assign trained workers from its list of disaster resources. Then there is the matter of supplies. sup-plies. Drugs, whole blood plasma and the like are brought in from the closest sources. Food, clothing, and essential furniture are procured, pro-cured, locally if possible. And when additional shelter is needed, tents and cots are borrowed from the national guard or the United States military establishment. A good example of disaster relief was demonstrated recently recent-ly when a typhoon struck Guam. The chapter there, headed by Gov. Carlton Skinner, Skin-ner, had $38,000 which could be used for emergency. The committee com-mittee moved in fast, securing food, clothing, and medical care for the victims. Because the crops were destroyed, supplies of food were shipped or flown into the island. Rehabilitation Rehabilita-tion started as soon as the high winds permitted. This is just one of the numerous disasters that the Red Cross has dealt with during the brief period of my association with the organization. organ-ization. More recently, the organization organ-ization has been called upon for help in relieving Midwest flood sufferers suf-ferers and the victims of winter storms in the Far West. In the finest sense, this service exemplifies the time-honored American Amer-ican tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. The Red Cross merely promotes and Implements the neighborly spirit. A Free-Moving Group Many duties of the Red Cross involve in-volve emergency operations, often on a very large scale. In addition to local service by the chapters, Red Cross activities are both national na-tional and international. You can see that the Red Cross must always be free to mobilize and expand its services to meet situations as they arise. It must be able to concentrate concen-trate its whole strength on the relief re-lief of a stricken community or meet the huge demands of a national na-tional emergency. No one can foresee fore-see exactly what burdens the Red Cross may be called upon to assume as-sume each year. It therefore should be apparent that the organization cannot well delegate its fund raising responsibility responsi-bility to another agency. Nor can it commit itselX to an alliance which might hinder its freedom or capacity ca-pacity to meet its national and international in-ternational responsibility. Sicker . . . The Red Klecommunications sys-fcs sys-fcs an especially impor- during disasters when ifs must be received from stricken areas, eneral Marshall looks e telecommunications the Chicago chapter rs. Mary C. Mullen, states superintendent stem, organizations and other f to the roles each will Nans that the committee fere it can get critically Applies in a hurry. It t the disaster committee Oged with local radio op-Mwing op-Mwing into action if the f es of communication are In most sizeable disuse dis-use "hams" have proved c. son for the effectiveness d Cross work is that it we without delay funds to relief and rehabilitation. in its current budget earmarked $5,000,000 for loses, in addition to a re-M re-M of $7,000,000 kept on i vent of a minor disaster, 'ivolving few families. chairman of the chap-f:s chap-f:s committee handle the jw'th local funds or. if |