Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-04-08

oShCo III 81 cat II vi uOulu WoOucu
cases and crates and stout canvas
bags, and stored near an elevator On
one of the floors Of the huge United
States Army Supply Base in South
Boston, is the complete equipment Tor
100-bed field hospftal-cots, mat
tresses. blankets, bed linen; chafrs.
tables, medicines, surgical dressings
operating room supplies and--mess
equipment. -.. ..'+~s.' =
Each OF the cases, crates and bags
carries upon 1t the emblem OF the
American Red Cross and these words:
American Red Cross Mobile Disaster
Unit, New England Division" s-...-s.
On the rolls of the New England
Division Of the American Red Cross
are listed nearly 100 physicians land
surgeons, specialists, nurses, medical
social service workers, cooks, stenog-
raphers and helpers--the pefsonaea
Of this Mobile Disaster Unit ,ea@-,;;'
Day after day the equipment waits
in its 80 containers in the ~ ARMY
warehouse. Day after, day the doctors
and nurses. tho relief workers, ceeks
and others 20 about their customary
duties In Aomes and hospitals in and
about Boston. r.. e..
But II . great rush OF waters. de-
sceading from tho melting snow and
ice in the reaches Of Aelds and hiilA,
suddenly svervhaims some payt Of
one Of our New England communities
this svstaG. killing And ta3ur4nS IL
people, svosStnS away thaks bones
ana posssaaaons, aAd crsating havoc
In it, industries, Or II AaHAAtsr IN any
othsw hAeoD form eooss xDnn "a,
then this Noble Dtsssser Uni& viii
a,sinS 70 instant sctaxity. yt~S<n
auto trucks win roar 0eaY vNy With
al spseA TO the Army 8sppty nasa.
vAxs husky voskefs vim haA ths
waiting equipment onto them rhs
Telephone Will carry IN imperative
summons to tho aoctorS and nurses
and relisf vrkers Who arc enSolied
for disaster servteA and they will
drop their daily tAsks and mobilize
At An appointed place, prepared to 80
to any part ot our Now England states
Of Maine, Now Hampshire, Vermont.
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, and
remain As long ~ needed
Within q very few hours Of the time
the first news Of tie disaster L. re-
ceived by the officers Of the Now
England Division, and the need for
outside relief verified, personnA and
equipment will be rushing over the
road or hurrying by train to the scene
Of the disaster, ready to establish
hospital that can care for from a
hundred to q hundred and city suffer
ers.
Authorized by Congress
The first public service Of the
American Red Cross after 1t was es-
tablished 80 years ago was succoring
the victims OF forest fire in Michi-
gan. Since that time the havoc
wrought by food, drought, pestilence,
tornadoes, earthquakes, shipwrecks,
explosions and fires has called for in
creasingly frequent and extensive
participation by the Red Cross in or
ganizing, coordinating and administer
ing relief. In fact, one of its chief
services at home and abroad has been
in connection with relief operations
following disaster. 1t has raised and
administered the expenditure of mil
lions of dollars for the relief of hun
dreds of thousands of disaster victims
in this and other countries since its
organization. All through the great
war 1t provided relief in great disas-
ters having no connection with the
fighting overseas.
The American Red Cross is ex-
pressly authorized by Congress to
function as a disaster relief organiza-
ton and the American people have
now come to look upon the Red Cross
as their agency in disaster relief
operations. 1t has developed a com
prehensive disaster relief organization
centering in the Director General Of
Civilian Relief at National Headquar-
ters in Washington and consisting of
skilled and experienced disaster re-
lief administrators and field agents
and facilities for mobilizing funds and
supplies.
During the past few months the
officers at National Headquarters and