OCR Text |
Show Answering the Call of $f Human Distress j.V j? xv V L : .1. I .v?r ' , v xv Trm:'vn i f ; v. " h o .; vr:' :S,. HJ . rtr -j 0. . ' :-r';-,;.v.----i V, By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ; ' .' ' "A.,'.'"', ' ' '4 ' ''- . , '1 X "V NCE a year the Anu-rioan people - . V , : '"' ' .. ; . N" ' ,' y as a whole are acutely aware of . , . '- J., '".' ' ;, "-'v.j the existeuee of a great national !" v .' , . V ' 1 . '' .cj, orsanization devoted exclusively . . -v, t . " :' j i V" .' . ' J Jl!?:' vs to the luniuiaitarian enterprise of . 'VnV" ,-v '.; i : '" " :'. '- ' answering in a practical way the k i - .'j ' . - S,, ,.- ' i,v"v , j I inrp ca!1 human distress. That Is -V . - - - T '-, '? '' i": ll ' Jfr'nff the period from Armistice V' '. ' . v. ' 1 day to Thanksjiivins: day when the V' " .'. .'"' J .. ' ' .' i J American Ued Cross holds its annual roll call t ' . ' ' v .' '"'.rr -.f.''" 4 t ' 1 and invites the support of the American people ' V. '. v1 " "'" '. by Join'.cs its memhership. I ' .-; ' . . "" During that time Mr. John Citizen hears a lot ': - of talk about this orpmi.-ation. he reads about V- . It In the newspapers, and in the coat lapel of v. . TrT"?" ' ...rv I his fellow citizens, wherever he p .es, he sees the '. '"' ' "'. ,v- ",'"""'"k V. j familiar little white button with the scarlet cross ' i ' 'N. J on it So when he is asked to become a mem- .;'-. . " - ' i ber he answers. "Sure. I'll join ! I know the Red i V - V v ' ' , ' f ii : J Cross is doing a fine work, and if mi member- jl --V-v ?i ' ... 3 eJiip will help out. why. here it is." VV 'I ?,"t-. J ' , , " , ' 1 "1 Thus the response of the average American P.-.,VVC'- 1,s'.- '-4 To ( - V.x. . ' ' . 's. ' for approximately two weeks out of the .".2 In k,t lli - ' s ,;Vv4 .-V- :"r 1 ' j the years. The chances are that during the -y?-msj? . ' J.- V '-.:'. , ' T '''Tf "i,. "if " ..'1 other &.l weeks he doesn't have occasion to think w ..t--. - . Jj ' .W' ' -f " "v.. '''- I ! about it especially. Then there comes a disas- K "ir-. : , ' ': ' . "."f S '. ."'--fjfJV , ; ; '.'; . '- J ter a tornado, a Cood, a mine explosion or an .''i'c ; ,.J f ' . i :$'C- V'- . '. C i epidemic of some sort. I ' '. ' :' -' ,. ; ' i'VUV i-j';;'V: " ' 1 I If Mr. Citizen is a resident of the stricken -, ' ' . ',- - " J " ' 's"Vjl . V '.' " .- t:r- .' ', ".'V ''...Yr: j j community, he has good reason to think of the I ' . -' . ' -,- '9 ..' ' - ' I Ked Cross again. For long before federal, state F. . ' .' , . rY.;'.. , . - -i AA.'vi. ' ' - - " ' ! or county relief agencies can begin to function, v : '.'".V'- 3TTx;-4 v-Y " ' the Red Cross has swung into action. f ,- . ' v r-'X --' V'' '" "13 I Even if he isn't one of those whose home has I 7:' . -x .' -"'... L ' 'v5C"0" '-- ' I been swept away or has lost a relative or friend f . ,- 5 f . ' N-N.!.-. . '.. I or In some other way has had the disaster 'rf . -v.. ,.' -.ntTTL- ..,,. j i By ELMO SCOTT WATSON X V NCE a year the American people v l as a whole are acutely aware of "V V' ttle ex-:it,'1K'e lf a great national '' , J, - organization devoted exclusively "JJ! V t0 t,le humanitarian enterprise of ,5. answering in a practical way the 1"rfi""-'C ca!1 of nut,iai distress. That Is I"- l during the period from Armistice i-i.l'' day to Thanksgiving day when the American Red Cross holds its annual roll call and invites the support of the American people by Joining its membership. During that time Mr. John Citizen hears a lot of talk about this organization, he reads about it In the newspapers, and in the coat lapel of his fellow citizens, wherever he g .es, he sees the familiar little w hite button with the scarlet cross on it. So when he is asked to become a member mem-ber he answers. "Sure. I'll join ! I know the Red Cross is doing a fine work, and if my membership member-ship will help out. why. here it is." Thus the response of the average American for approximately two weeks out of the 52 In the years. The chances are that during the other 50 weeks he doesn't have occasion to think about it especially. Then there comes a disaster disas-ter a tornado, a flood, a mine explosion or an epidemic of some sort. If Mr. Citizen is a -resident of the stricken community, he has good reason to think of the Red Cross again. For long before federal, state or county relief agencies can begin to function, the Red Cross has swung into action. Even if he isn't one of those whose home has been swept away or has lost a relative or friend or In some other way has had the disaster brought close to him. he has good reason to think of the Red Cross again. For, as he reads In his newspaper the first accounts of the disaster, dis-aster, he Is sure to come across some such significant sig-nificant statement as this, "The Red Cross is mobilizing its forces to meet the emergency" or "Red Cross workers have already arrived on the scene and are directing the relief work." Perhaps Mr. John Citizen doesn't realize that he had a part in that relief work, small though it may have been. But he did. That money which he handed over when he received his little lit-tle white button with the red cross on it during the last roll call, added to the thousands and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of similar contributions, is what makes it possible for the Red Cross to be on the job so quickly when the call for action comes. For all regular services of the Red Cross derive their support from the annual roll call and the strength of the organization lies in its mass membership. Perhaps he doesn't realize, either, how extensive ex-tensive Is the work of the Red Cross. But If he would realize It, let him look at the record of last year. Reaching into nearly every county of the United States, the American Red Cross the past year carried relief to 25,000.000 persons. This relief Included: aid to victims In 120 disasters; assistance to veterans and their families; help for the unemployed; the distribution of 85,000,-000 85,000,-000 bushels of government wheat nearly 11,-000,000 11,-000,000 barrels of flour to 6.000.000 families; and the distribution of S44.000 bales of government govern-ment cotton 55.000.000 ready-made garments, 93.000.000 yards of cloth to more than 5,000,000 families. These humanitarian activities, extending Into every section of every state, were made possible by the 3,700 Red Cross chapters and 10,000 branches, with their thousands of volunteer workers who. trained in Red Cross courses, gave freely of their time in order that life might be made bearable for the needy or unfortunate of their communities. The Red Cross is known for Its efficiency In meeting disaster emergencies. Never in more than 52 years of disaster experience has the call for Red Cross assistance been more constant con-stant and Imperative than In the last 12 months. Catastrophes crowded upon one another at the rate of ten a month a total of 120 In the year. Major calamities are characteristically rural. For every fire or earthquake that strikes the populace of a large city, requiring Red Cross ministration, there are many floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, grasshopper Infestations and other disasters assailing the smaller towns and the agricultural sections. Although national and local officials of the federal emergency relief administration have said repeatedly that "Federal relief funds cannot can-not be used In providing the necessities for which the Red Cross assumes responsibility," there has been some confusion in the public mind as to what the Red Cross does and what the government does. Red Cross relief Is glveD to disaster sufferers In need. Government relief re-lief consists In giving employment and whatever additional relief is required for the maintenance of a family, regardless of whether or not they are disaster sufTerers. Thus, the Red Cross con-tinutes con-tinutes its functions as the national disaster relief re-lief agency. There were 4-1 tornadoes and 2-1 floods in the L'nited States last year, and the Red Cross In each case met the emergency and brought about rehabilitation. During one period of 12 weeks 1G disasters occurred in 23 states, many of them affecting wide areas. In the United States relief was given In 217 counties and ten towns. There were eieht storms involving hail or high wind or both. There were six fires and a forest fire. There were three explosions, ex-plosions, a cloudburst, a cyclone, a drought, an earthquake, a hurricane, a mine explosion, a shipwreck, a snow blockade and a typhoid epidemic epi-demic all receiving prompt response from the Red Cross. Whenever a disaster sweeps an agricultural section the loss extends not only to the rlctims but to the entire community. Local business feels the Impact The Red Cross recovery program pro-gram helps here, for grocery and other buying orders are given for execution through the regular regu-lar local channels. This patronage removes much of the sting from the disaster and stimulates stimu-lates a return to normal economic conditions. The Red Cross Is always prepared, for Its chapter disaster committees are schooled in relief re-lief procedure. The Red Cross works closely with the government weather bureau, the army, the navy and coast guard. Today Red Cross disaster machinery is maintained at the highest high-est state of efficiency in history. The many recent re-cent hurricanes found the Red Cross everywhere organized for meeting emergencies. It Is not unusual for Red Cross disaster workers work-ers to he on the ground in advance of the arrival ar-rival of an approaching storm. In the case of disasters of types which cannot be anticipated to any degree, it is never a matter of more than a few hours until Red Cross workers are on the spot, bringing order out of chaos. Relief work has other operations In addition to that required by sudden disasters. Six hundred hun-dred thousand women under the Red Cross banner ban-ner gave more than 10,000,000 hours in the past year to making garments for children and adults. Sewing rooms hummed as in war days. Women who had knitted In war days once more plied their needles in the cause of good citizenship and patriotism. At the last national Red Cross convention in Washington living models displayed dis-played examples of workmanship of production units in chapters In every part of the United States. Items ranged from dresses to sweaters, from blouses to overalls. It is estimated that 50 per cent of the year's clothing needs of the needy were met by the Red Cross. Flour distribution was also achieved on an economical and efficient basis largely through the services of volunteers working under expert I 1. AM that is left of a home, following a hurricane hur-ricane In Tennessee. In the Red Cross this homeless family finds "a friend Indeed." 2. Little models and seamstresses members of the Junior Red Cross happy In their work for less fortunate children. 3. Flour for the needy. A view of a Red ! Cross distributing station in Ohio. 4. Demonstration of Red Cross first aid for simple fracture of the thigh. Splints have been applied, hands and feet tied In preparation for transporting the victim to the nearest medical aid. Aromatic spirits of ammonia are being given to offset the shock of the accident. 5. From bridge tables to sewing machines a group of volunteers converting cloth Into needed garments. $ $ direction. Home baking was revived in thousands thou-sands of homes. Farmers and rural dwellers were important beneficiaries of commodity operations. op-erations. Huge farm board surpluses were disposed dis-posed of. In certain drought areas In the early stages of the program, 223,901 tons of stock-feed stock-feed went to 1S4.1SS owners of live stock. Many rural families were rescued from the prospect of severe food shortage In the presence of plenty. Physical resistance was maintained; under-nourlshment prevented. Children were enabled to go to school who would have been kept at home for lack of sufficient clothing. In the Red Cross health program the results were widespread. The Red Cross public health nurses Inspected 633,379 children in schools during dur-ing the year pointed out health needs, assisted school doctors and health officials. In all kinds of weather, at all hours of day or night, over all manner of roads, they made a total of more than 1,233,500 nursing visits. Fifty-three thousand thou-sand persons were reached in home hygiene classes taught by authorized Red Cross nurses Instructed In the fundamentals of healthful living liv-ing and In simple procedures In care of the sick In the home. Safety education went right along with health lessons. More than 66.000 certificates were Issued Is-sued by the Red Cross for completion of first aid courses; more than 7S.000 certificates were issued in life-saving. Veterans and their families continue to find a buddy in the Red Cross, which won their loyalty by Its service to them In the World war. Since the passage of the economy act, they have become be-come dependent upon Red Cross technical advisers advis-ers and authorized Red Cross representation before be-fore the veterans' administration. Red Cross work Is not an adult activity alone. Organized 15 years ago the Junior Red Cross, made up of school children, now has a membership member-ship of nearly 7,000.000, and these 7,000,000 have taken an active part In relief work among war veterans and among children less fortunate than themselves. by Wwtern Newspaper Union.) |