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Show RED GROSS AID TO MORE THAN 500,000 DISASTER VICTIMS Large Urban Areas Devastated As Elements Hit 20 States East of Mississippi "The number of disaster victims assisted by the Red Cross during the fiscal year ended June 30 was more than four times the number aided In the previous twelve month period," Admiral Cary T. Grayson, chairman, said in commenting com-menting on highlights of the annual an-nual report just issued. "Over 131,000 families were given food, clothing, shelter and medical care, and thousands of homes were rebuilt re-built or repaired by the Red Cross to enable them to carry on." Pointing to the many-sided problems prob-lems created by the wjde variety of types of disasters which occurred oc-curred during the year, Admiral Grayson said, "The Red Cross sent hundreds of trained workers into 39 states to meet the many exigencies exi-gencies of catastrophes which included in-cluded earthquake, epidemic, explosion. ex-plosion. Are, hurricane, Ice lock, landslide, refugee relief, shipwreck, tornado and typhoon. The Red Cross took charge at the scenes of 106 domestic disasters of major se-Terlty." se-Terlty." The report emphasized the marked value of Government-Red Cross cooperation when disaster itrikes, giving as example the flight of Army bombing planes which dropped Red Cross food to marooned ma-rooned refugees at Renovo, Pennsylvania, Penn-sylvania, during the Spring floods. More than 10,000 persons were rescued res-cued from the second floors of homes in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston King-ston through Coast Guard -Red Cross cooperation at the height of these same floods. "Government agencies and relief re-lief groups were of invaluable assistance as-sistance to Red Cross relief forces at all times," Admiral Grayson stated. The complete resources of Red Cross leadership, training and disaster dis-aster experience were brought into play by the Spring floods and tornadoes torna-does which took so heavy a toll of life and property in eastern and southern states this year, the annual an-nual report reveals. The Red Cross aided 77,000 families in 14 flooded states east of the Mississippi and 6,000 families In 6 tornado hit states south of the Mason-Dixon, line in this one operation. "Never before have as many metropolitan met-ropolitan centerB borne the brunt of attack by wind and water within a single year, challenging Red Cross preparedness and efficiency by so wide a variety of pressing human problems," Chairman Grayson Gray-son said. In Us work of relief to disaster sufferers the Red Cross expended in excess of 15,200,000 for the year. The report points out that this figure fig-ure does not include assistance given in 27 lesser disasters with a total of 2,000 persons aided, and adds that additional millions will be used to ""clean up" Spring floods and tornadoes. "Numerous local disaster situations situa-tions occurring during the year were met by Red Cross chapter funds and manpower," Admiral Grayson said. "In each major relief operation undertaken the great army of Red Cross volunteers aided trained workers with the task of re-halMlltating re-halMlltating those without resources re-sources who had suffered losses. "The Red Cross disaster relief service Is one of many Red Cross activities supported by the American Ameri-can people through membership at the time of Roll Call, held each year from Armistice Day to Thanksgiving." |