Milford chronicle., 1919-11-21

RED CROSS TO
FURNISH RELIEF
Preparations For Disaster Aid
on a Gigantic scale
EOW Being Made.
NGTlO2S WEALTH AVAILABLE
New Plan is Part Of the Peace Pro-
gram and No Disaster is Too Big
For Il to Handle Efficiently.

New Plan is Part Of the Peace Pro-
gram and No Disaster is Too Big
For Il to Handle Efficiently
Preparedness for disaster relief
on a scale never before possible is
being undertaken by the American
Red Cross, as one of the important
features of its peace program, for
the support Of which an effort viii be
made to secure a record membership
during the Third Red Cross roll call,
November 2 to II.
A FrlshtfuI Record.
Because Of the lack Of the spec
tacular in many of them, It IS not
generally realized how frequently
disasters occur, bringing death and
suffering In their wake Since 1900,
disasters of peace have cost thousands
of lives and have brought personal
injury and property losses to no
fewer than 100000 persons, at the
same time destroying property valued
at over Sl,OO0OOO,OOO.
During 1917 alone, eighty disasters
came to the attention of the American
Red Cross; sixty-twO tornadOes, five
floods, four great fires, two EARTH
quakes, two serious mine explosions,
two munition plant explosions, a race
riot, a shipwreck and the tragic ca
lamity which befeIl Halifax. The to-
tai Of deaths entalled was 175S, while
1927 were injured and the property
loss reached $11000O,OO0.
Under its direction the entire re-
sources of all communities for emer-
gency relief will be mObilized for in
stant use when needed. Red Cross
chapters everywhere win create Dis
aster Preparedness Committees that
will make surveys locating not only
emergency food supplies, drugs and
other hospital supplies, cots, Mattress
es, blankets, clothing. schools, ar
mories and other buildings for housing
refugees but also viii canvass physi-
clans, nurses, social workers and
others prepared to respond instantly
to calls for their services in disasters.
Relief Supply centers.
Information gathered in these sur
veys will be fled by The thirteen Red
Cross Divisional organizations in the
United States, which viii establish
disaster relief supply centers and
take charge Of operations when assist
ance is needed. IN the case of major
disasters, where the resources Of the
division in which ii occurs are over
taxed, the entire relief strength of the
Red Cross in the country may be mo-
bilzed, through National Headquar-
ters. And there will also be ready
for immediate relief duty the equip
ment and personnel of the fifty base
hospitals organized by the American
Red Cross and turned over TO the
army for service in France.
For the guidance of its represen-
tatives at the scene of disasters a
comprehensive Relief Manual has
been compiled by J. Byron Deacon,
director general of the American Red
Cross Department Of Civilian Relief,
who is charged with responsibility for
Red Cross funds and operations in
disasters. The Manual calls attention
to the frequency OF disasters and
urges that relief to be effective must
be swift and centralized
The local community, so far as pos
sible is depended upon to provide its
own relief, with the Division and Ma.
tional Red Cross organizations stand
ing ready to rush additional aid where
II is necessary. The extensive and |
varied experience Of the Red Cross
places it in a peculiarly effective po-
sition TO offer sound counsel. It has
built up a trained and seasoned staff !
of relief workers and each Division
Office will have its list of experienced |
disaster workers under agreement to |
go, at a moments notice, to any
territory.
The Red Cross is thus planning to |
put disaster relief on such n sound ]
basis that 1t viii become in the fullest
sense, nationwide in scope, and will
assure a swifter mobilization and ap-
plication of whatever may be needed
after calamlties, no matter what their
size or where they occur