The Washington herald., 1914-05-10
By ERNEST p. BICKNELL,
National Director, Red Gross.

NhuOuAl DlreCtor, hc0 NfNos@
Exclusive Service the Survey Press Bureau)
Recall only a few of the disasters Of
recent years-the Galveston flood, the
San Francisco earthquake and fire, the
Messinia earthquake, the Monongah.
Cherry Dawson, and other mine dis
asters, the wrecks of the Titanic and the
volturno, the Washington Place fire, the
Baltimore fire, the Michigan and Min
nesota forest fires. the Mississippi River
flood of 1872. the flood in the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers in 1913, the Omaha
tornado-with their destruction of thou
sands Of lives. their direct injury to the
person or property of more than l,5oo 600
men, women, and children. and their
annihiliation of property worth more than
a thousand million dollars.
And, though the disasters mentioned
are among the greatest scores OF others
have called for the sympathy and help
of the people of the United States. Since
January /, 1905, the American Red Cross
has provided assistance for victims OF
sixty disasters, and in so doing has ex-
pended, In money and supplies. over N2.-
10000.
No community is likely to suffer from
more than one or two great disasters in
a lifetime, and when these have occurred.
all hands have turned out to. form a
temporary relief organization and get the
task over as quickly as possible, with
minimum Of attention to the principles
involved, or to the comparative value OF
this method or that. in the restoration OF
normal conditions and the rehabilitation
of individuals. The method of procedure
was somewhat analogous to the old sys-
TENS Of rough-and-ready surgery or
dentistry.
1t was not until the American Red
Cross, after its reorganization in 1905,
began Systematically to study and direct
disaster relief operations that principles
and methods applicable to relief work
of this character received serious atten-
ton. One of the earlier steps was an
ARRANGEMENT by which charity organiza-
ton societies in the larger cities agreed
to lend trained social workers to the
Red Cross for service in disaster relief.
No general statement concerning dis
aster relief is complete which omits ref
erence to the vital part performed by the
people of the communities suffering from
disaster Not alone the first work Of re-
lief following a disaster. but a great part
of the entire relief administration from
beginning to end. must usually fall upon
volunteers drawn from the community
itself.
The first step in organization, no mat
ter what the nature of the disaster may
be, is to form a central committee, to
which should be given complete control
of all relief operations of whatever char
acter In order that this central COM
mittee may command the respect and
confidence of the community. 1t should
be composed of representatives Of all the
strong philanthropic organizations and OF
the business professional and wage-earn-
ing elements of the population. II the
disaster has affected chiefly people OF a
single nationality or religion, II Is well
TO give especially generous representa-
ton upon the central committee to the
class most affected.
REPRESENTATIVES of the Red Cross or
others experienced in emergency relief
work. introduce system in investigation
keeping records and accounts, and laying
out and executing plans which have for
their purpose provision for each needy
family, of the kind and amount Of assist
ance best adapted to meet its particular
circumstances.
A bureau Of records or registration
should be established at the very first
The name. address, number Of members
in the family. with their ages. and some
principal facts in regard to the losses
sustained may be recorded in q moment.
Persons without previous experience in
such work too often feel that the TAX
ing of this record is a cause Of I'M
justifable delay. 1t is often referred to
as red tape" As matter Of fact. ex-
perience has demonstrated that confusion.
delay and unintelligent action are an
almost invariable result of a failure to
make the simple record described at the
first possible opportunity.
AS a mans chief interest following a
disaster is to restore his home or other
property, it is natural that he Will exert
his maximum of energy and industry in
relief operations IL he can be set at the
rehabilitation Of his own affairs. This
principle should be recognized whenever
practicable.
Methods which a committee may adopt
in enc instance may be inapplicable in
another. Much depends upon the charac-
ter of the disaster.
For example. q mine disaster does not
destroy the home or property of man,
but destroys the man himself. The prob
lem then becomes one of the proper care
of the widow and her children. In the
case of a food, the waters may not sub
side for a considerable period, and the
problem then becomes one Of providing
temporary shelter. In the case Of a
cyclone or fire, destruction is quickly ac-
ccmplished, and the work of Gearing
h1oriv1 within a