Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-10-19
Members Of The Associated Press.
sHasS
RED CROSS ACTIVITIES.

With the time for the annual roll
sall of the Red Cross rapidly APP
preaching it is natural that the peo-
pie who have been members of this
organization and who will be asked
% join again for another year. should
want to know something of the work
hat has been done. While the Red
Cross has been in existance for a
great many years 1t was not until
he recent war that its real signih-
sance was fully understood. An idea
prevails among a great many sha. It
ls mainly a wartime organization
n that there is Little for 1t - do
n times of peace.
AS a matter OF fact, the Red Cross
IS extremely busy these days. Much
81 Its work, however, Is of such a
confidential nature that little is said
about 1t publically. This has refer
snce particularly to the home service
department through which many
families are assisted in various ways.
In cases of disaster, such
az the fire at the Bar
Der Aphalt Paving Company's plant,
he Red Cross openly demonstrated
its usefulness, and the motor corps
is constantly in service furnishing
transportation for all worthy causes.
A recent settlement from the head
quarters of the Atlantic division of
tho American Red Cross. which in
cludes the Perth Amboy chapter.
sets forth some interesting facts re-
yarding the activities of the whole
organization during the last year.
VIRTUALLY every phase of Red
Cross SERVICE" it says, Including
irst aid, nursing, health service,
Junior Red Cross, military and civil
AN relief. was brought into play dur
ns the last year in aiding 10000 per-
ions in 164 communities, victims of
seventy-three disasters.
nm the accomplishment of this
',orm of relief work, during the year
i40 Red Cross chapters were called
apon to assist and the sum of $780,
300 in cash and supplies was ex-
pended. Thirty temporary hospitals
we're called into existence, twenty
odd motor corps were organized,
seven special relief trains were sent
out, and 10 special representatives
and nurses were furnished in addi-
ion to the aid given by the local
Red Cross workers In the community
listed by disaster.
I'm these 73 disasters, including 10
.ornadoes and cyclones, 2 hurricanes,
cloud bursts, / hail-storm, 2 earth
quakes, / landslide, Is fires, 1 ex-
plosion, Q foods. 10 shipwrecks. /
train wreck, 4 riots, l motor accident
ana 2 droughts, $50 persons were
killed, $500 were injured, $4,000
approximately were rendered
homeless while property valued at
ss5.0o0,000 was destroyed.
sThe largest and most destructive
disaster of the year was at Corpus
Christi, Tex. in September 1919
Approximately 400 were killed and
1000 made homeless. The Red Cross
division director with a staff OF
.hirty-fve assistants administered a
fund Of $500. 900 giving aid to $500
families and four towns and rural
districts and sufficient supplies to
each family TO enable 1t to stand on
is feet.
because of tornadoes. the Gulf and
Lake divisions of the Red Cross were
called upon to send emergency re-
lief with trained workers into nearly
eighty communities. The two
thoughts in Montana and North
Dakota gave abundant opportunity
OF lidlHtu NOI htlS AlOAi ~ 1
srn division to help the Red eros:
chapters demonstrate their useful
ness, while a number of shipwreck'
proved the readiness of the Atlantic
ii1sion and the New York Metro
oolN4n Disaster Relief Committee t.
assist in that line of work.
The need of preparedness for dis
aster relief in every community IA
resulted in the organization of Dis
aster Preparedness Committees b!
about 400 chapters and the setting
aside of a special emergency fund b,
he national organization of $4,000.
100 in addition to the regular annua
appropriation for this purpose mad
IN it's budget"
There is much satisfaction Il
knowing that Perth Amboy has on
of the best organized chapters of tn
Red Cross in the Atlantic division
1t is ready for any emergency. Whe
we recall the valuable service rem
Tered during the Morgan explosio
and the influenza epidemic, not t
mention the many instances of less
er importance, we can appreeiat
what the Red Cross mean to a com
mun1ty.
The Perth Amboy chapter ha