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Show HUGE TASK IN DROUGHT ! AID MET BY RED GP.OSS Relief Given to Distressed Helps in Meeting Serious Situation, Chairman Payne Says. "The year of the great drought," as these past twelve or more months will be known to future generations, wrought great damage to millions. Not alone did the crops, which were burned in the fields in twenty-three states, in the summer of 1930, deprive several million persons of food, but the drought disaster continued in the summer of 1931 In the northwestern states, and also brought other minor catastrophes in its wake, such as forest for-est fires, and the grasshopper plague. More than a year has elapsed since the American Red Cross launched, in August, 1930, Its first moves for relief of the drought-stricken farmers, and in that time more than 2,750,000 persons per-sons were given food, clothing, medical med-ical aid, shelter or other type of assistance. as-sistance. At no period during this year were there fewer than 70,000 persons being aided and at the peak of the relief work . on March 1, last, more than 2,000,000 persons were being be-ing helped. Today, still as a result of the drought, the Red Cross is giving extended ex-tended relief in parts of North Dakota, Washington and Montana, where resources re-sources of hundreds of families were wiped out this past summer, when a second and more severe spell of dry weather was prolonged in that region. ' This drought relief presented the greatest task that has ever been undertaken un-dertaken by the Red Cross as a peacetime peace-time activity. The Mississippi Valley flood of 1927, while more spectacular, and calling for relief of a costlier type, because homes and possessions were swept away, affected hardly one-fourth the number of people who suffered because be-cause of the drought. In addition to the broad program of drought relief still being carried on, John Barton Payne, chairman of the American Red Cross, has given the following suggestion to Chapter chairmen, in regard to unemployment relief: "Where there is suffering and want from any cause and the fundamental funda-mental local needs are not being met, Chapters may participate in the community com-munity plans for meeting the need." Some type of general family relief, whether for the drought victims, the unemployed or the war veteran and his family, were carried on by more than 3,000 Red Cross Chapters last year, Judge Payne said. ' "The' drought relief work of 1930-31," 1930-31," he added, "the relief now being extended following last summer's drought, principally in Montana and North Dakota; the assistance which is being given to ex-service men and their families; and the part which several hundred Chapters are taking locally In their communities' relief measures are activities of the Red Cross, national and local, which have met and are meeting some of the serious seri-ous needs of the present situation." |