The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-24
APPEAL
FOR HELP FOR
FLOOD VICTIMS
GOVERNOR GILcHRIST CALLS FOR
ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN MADE DESTITUTE
BY THE FLOOD.
Tallahassee. Fla. April 20. 1919

To the People Of Florida:
AS president of the Florida Society
of the American Red Cross, have to-
day received a telegram from Presi-
dent William Howard Taft, who is
president of the national organization
OF the American Red Cross, as fol-
lows:
Conditions Of distress resulting
from the flood in the lower Mississippi
valley have assumed such intensity
and magnitude, that it has become my
duty as president of the American RED
Cross to make known the facts as
given to the press today, in order that
the people Of the United States may
express their sympathy in substantial
form.
Fully twenty-five thousand persons
are now homeless and dependent on
the generosity Of the country for food
and shelter. and the number is steadilv
increasing.
THE army Is doing everything pos
sible to provide shelter and food to
meet the immediate emergency, but
the equally important task Of conduct
ing relief camps, maintaining health
ana restoring the flood refugees to
their homes under conditions which
may enable them to return to normal
conditions Of life. rests upon the local
authorities and the Red Cross
Many thousands of people win re-
turn to their homes to find their
houses and furniture and farm equip
ment and food supplies for themselves
and their farm animals almost CT
wholly destroyed.
Questions of health which inevita-
bly, arise from the gathering Of great
numbers into camps, are already be-
coming acute, and to this will be added
others even more serious when the
waters subside. Typhoid, dysentery,
smallpox, malaria and other diseases
threaten and must, If possible, be pre-
vented by prompt and vigorous meas
ures.
For this task, resources far In ex-
cess Of those now at command will be
essential. If you, as president of your
state Red Cross board, see At to sup
plement this publication by proclama-
ton to the people of your state, the
force Of the appeal will be greatly
strengthened
Contributions received by members
Of your state board should be duly
credited by your board treasurer and
transmitted to the national treasurer,
In Washington.
WIN. H. TAFT,
President American Red Cross"
The foregoing information and ap-
peal are submitted to the people of
Florida in the hope that they will
promptly and generously contribute
their full share of the needed relief
The following are the members of
the Florida state board Of the Ameri-
can Red Cross:
Albert w. Gdlchrist, Tallahassee,
president
George R. DeSaussure, Jacksonville.
treasurer.
G. T. Whitfield, Tallahassee. score
tary.
George W. Allen, Key West.
Walter F. Goa Gilman, Jacksonville.
w. E. GUNNER. Jacksonville.
George W. Saxon, Tallahassee.
John e. Stillman, Pensacola
T. G. Taliaferro. Tampa.
1t Is hoped that in each community
in this state a self constituted com
mittee of citizens will collect some
amount for this relief fund, and for
ward the amount collected to Mr., Geo.
R. DeSaussure, treasurer, Jacksonville,
Fla
ALBERT W. GILCHRIST,
President Florida State Board Amert-
can Red Cross.