The Sentinel=record., 1913-03-27
pRoAPT ACTION IS TAKEN TO sUCcoR HELPLESS VICTIMS
 OF TIE FLOODS.
WILs0N IN INITIATIVE
President Notifies Approprission con. nittee That Funds Win Be Used and Receives Assursnes cf
 Cooperation.

Washington, March zs.-The priaei- pal fauction Of t1e government of the United states today xas to extend re lief 10 fhe thousands of homeless sBT- yivors of he Ohio and Indiana floods
 iH quick succession every agency os the government from Ehe president the secretary Of gar, 10 every bureau chief in the Apartments under whom relief expeditions could be organized rnoyed swiftly to assiaf the state au- thoritIes in providing food and shei- ter and medical attention for tzae sur- fererz.
 All the troops of the department of the east were ordered 10 hold them selves in readiness for duty in the flood districts
 One million rations, sufficient 10 feed 100000 people for five days at least, are being purchased by The war department at the nearest sapp:y ae- pots and hurried 10 the Ohio and Iu- diana towns. Tents 10 shelser st least 5vsovv DeopIe. thousands or blankets. cots, hospital and field sup- plies are being loaded In tie PniIa- dei9aia, Pittsburg. St Louis, Cnacago. Fort Thomas, Ky. and nearby army posts, apd within q hours should reach the devastated sections. Mes sages of sympathy exchanged bs the president and governors Of Ohio and Indiana were followed quickly by series of requests for help. which were promptly answered by fhe gov ernment departments
 The president was in his office all day in close touch with the situation. He was iR constant communication with Secretary Garrison Of the war de- pertinent. He apps5ged Chairmen Martin of the senate. and Fitzgerald Of tae house appropriations commit tees that the government was going ahead with ane emergency expendi- tGres on tae assumption that congress would back u1 the administration Iaxer on. They both wired promises Of hearty support and orders went out on every side for a gigantic work or relief The president called upon the 1 people of the nation to contribute money literally to the American Red Cross waich iu turn appealed to the governors of the states to help gather relief funds.
 Majors James NormoyIe and James
 F.. Lane, Jr. experienced in fighting uae Mississippi valley floods. were or dered by Quartermaster General Ale shire of Columbus, Ohio, to take charge of distributing food supplies for the federal government.
 Major P. (. Fauntleroy was sent im- mediately to Columbus to handle the medical supplies Nine medical off cers and 54 hospital corps went fFop the department of the east, carrying a big supply of surgical dressings, antiSypnoid proplylactics and the complete reserve medical supply. lcomprising hundreds Of drugs suffi- eient to treat 20,eoe patients for one month. Precautions are 10 be taken against shs spread Of disease.
 Miss Mabel Boardman of the Red CHoss, was active al the headqnar- ters here ftelegraphing orders to nurses at G!egeiaad and Cincinnati
 and calling upon other nearby chap l ters for physicians and nurses.
 Postmaster General BuFieson direct ed the departments representatives to make every possible effort to install Temporary mail service and restore the main routes between the east and west as rapidly as possible. Only the railroad routes close to Lake Erie have been able to get the malls l through from the west and there has been practically no local service in the territory bounding Cleveland, To- ledo rolmrnhus. IndiananoTfs. T'ssra Haute and the Ohio river All lines