The Coconino sun., 1925-10-30
RED CROSS YEAR
A RELIEF RECORD

Virtual completion of the largest
peace-time project OF post-disaster re
habilitation ever known has been ac
complished by the American Red
Cross In less than year. as par1
of its relief work in the more than
past year.
This great program was undertake
following the tornado which struck
i've mid-western States last spring
/ killing 7ss people, injuring 1888 more
and causing inestimable property loss
1t. left q huge area OF devastation in
its wake, presenting a real problem
The Red Cross, however, went to
work on the heels Of the storm, car,
4 ing for the injured. sheltering and
feeding whole communities, and help
ing every individual sufferer from the
destruction back to normal.
The magnitude OF the problem is in
dicated By comparison of its huge cas-
ualty list with that of the entire pre-
ceding year, whose combined losses
were 735 dead and not quite 1000 in
jured. as a result of the record mum.
Der OF 192 catastrophies.
The story of the Red Cross service
in the past year, recounted by the re-
port, ranges from fires heading the list
of destructive forces with 80 disasters,
to mine explosions, tornadoes. ty.
phoons. floods and earthquakes.
The Santa Barbara earthquake was
among the outstanding events record
ed In the report. The Red Cross had
completed its relief organization on
the scene within a few hours OF the
disaster, and in addition had launched
program designed to permanently
restore every person affected by it..
to his former status once more.
The Red Cross service in the period
following the wreck OF tho Navy air.
chip Shenandoah" was typical OF its
rromptness and effectiveness. Serv-
Zee Ii this instance was afforded by
Red Cross chapters in the vicinity Of
tho wreck. and by representatives OF
the national organization. 1t demon
strates graphically the value OF each
OF the more than 5000 chapters OF
the society which are at work in vir-
tualIy every part Of the country, in
the facility they afford the national
organization in emergencies.
There we're 61 domestic disaster op-
erations reported in which the Red
Cross rendered service either through
chapter or national staff personnel
during the year. In 81 of these the
rational organization appropriated a
tbtal q 1904, ,256.49, the greater. por-
ton Of which was received as direct
contributions for the relief of speci-
fed disasters. The relief operations
following the northern Ohio tornado
Of June. 1924. were brought to a close
IN May, 1925, after an arrangement
had been made with the Lorain chap.
ter to provide expert services to the
families of any tornado sufferers who
required such assistance in the next
two years. In this single disaster the
relief work, as finally accounted,
reached total Of sS1,019,751.23.
The mid-western tornado Of this
year. covering strip of territory 400
miles long involved an expenditure
up to June so Of s774000, while the
total amount turned in to the fund
through the agency Of the Red Cross
was $2.G45,000. In addition to this
sum specifically collected for the pur
pose. the Red Cross had expended
from its regular reserves $4,000
~
workers have been impressed by the
spirit of determination and hopeful
ness shown by the people. Once they
recovered from their grief and bewil
derment, they began at once to re
build, materially and otherwise. AMI
always on better scale where posi-
BILE. Another significant feature OF
these occurrences. as noted in the re-
port Of the Red Cross. was the prompt
ness with which the local chapters
organized emergency relief before
help could be received from outside
sources. A direct effect of their ex-
ample has been to stimulate disaster
relief preparedness among chapters
all over the country.
The services of the American Red
Cross are performed Invariably in the
name OF the American people. On the
effectiveness of this representation
during the past year. it will launch
the ninth annual roll call this year
on November II, to continue until
Thanksgiving November 26. during
which support through membership
will be invited for 1926.