The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-06-16

Packed in great iron bound wooder
cases and crates and stout canvas
bags, and stored near an elevator or
one OF the floors Of the huge United
States Army Supply Base in South
Boston. is the complete equipment fJl
a loeb field hospital-cots. mat
tresses, blankets. bed linen, chars
tables, medicines, surgical dressings
opera ling room supplies and mess
equipment.
Each of the cases, crates and tags
Amer can Red Cross and these words d:
"Amt rican Red Cross Mobile Disaster
Unit, New England Division"
On the rolls OF the New England
Divis IN of the American Red Cross
ire sted nearly 100 physicians and
surge ons, specialists, nurses, mediea.
soc.al service workers. cocks, atenog
rapho rs and keepers the personnel
Jf tbs Mobile Disaster tnit.
Day after day the eQuiplnen; waits
warel ouse Day after day the doctors
and nurses, the relief workers, cooks
and others 20 about their customary
duties in homes and hospitals in and
about Boston.
But II great rush of waters, de-
sceLd ne from the melting snow ana
CO in the reaches of fields and hills,
suddc lly overwhelms some part or
Jne o. our New England commun ties
this spring. killing and injuring its
people. sweeping away their, homes
and possessions. and creating havoc
n its industries, or if disaster in any
other hideous form comes upon us,
then this Mobile Disaster Unit will
spring to instant activity. Five ton
auto trucks Will roar their way with
all speed to the Army Supply Base
where husky workers will load the
waiting equipment onto them The
telephone will carry an imperative
summons to the doctors and nurses
and relief workers who are enrolled
for disaster service, and they Will
drop their daily tasks and mobilize
at an appointed place, prepared TO go
to any part of our. New England states
of Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and
remain as long as needed.
Within a very few hours OF the time
the first news of the disaster is re-
ceived by the officers of the New
England Division, and the need for
outside relief verified, personnel and
,,auiplnent viii 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 a hundred and fifty suffer
ers.
Authorized by Congress
The first public service Of the
American Red Cross after it was es-
tablished 80 years ago was succormg
the victims of forest fire in Mich
gan. Since that time the havoc
wrought by flood, drought, pestilence.
tornadoes, earthquakes, shipwrecks,
explosions and fires has called for in
creasihgly frequent and extensive
participate 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
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
All through the great
war it provided relief in great disas-
tiers having no connection with tho
fighting overseas.
The American Red Cross is ex-
pressly authorized by Congress to
function as 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 com -
disaster relief organization
centering in the Director General of
Civilian Relief at National Headquar-
te-s 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