Evening star., 1926-10-06
IMMEDIATE RELIEF
FLOR|DA'S MAIN AIM
Speaker Gives Red Cross De-
tails CT Suffering Found in
Hurricane Zone.

However active Florida officials
and business men may have been to
minimize the hurricane damage to the
world outside the outstandi con-
Cern inside the storm area was to
get relief ana Red cross assistance
as quickly and as abundantly as pos
sihe James j.. Fieser, who has charge
of disaster retief work there, told the
convention OF the American Red Cross
when il resumed its sessions in the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States this morning.
Mr.. Fieser offered no criticism of
the activities of the officials and bust
ness interests of Florida in this adj
dress. which was on The Disaster
Situation IN Florida He indicated
that he had twice before made known
his views on this subject. This time
he laid before the delegates an un-
colored picture of the scene as ne
saw it, of the work the Red Cross
did, and seemed to seek some excuse
for untoward Incidents in the fact
that the whole state had received
serious nervous shock from the storm.
Tells of Red Cross Activity.
The speaker first described the or
Carization that has been built up
in the American Red Cross to meet
Just such a tragic situation. lie
pointed out that if the orga nlZed
members of the society were to stand
in row with only 10 feet separating
each. person. the line would extend
from the Atlantic TO the PacltlC,
across the continent. And the Ju'
nior Red Cross would form another
line from ocean to ocean, with only
three feet separating each child
member.
with that background, we come to
the question of disaster relief" he
said. "As to the Florida situation.
wish to say that the response of the
chapters everywhere was most reas-
surfing, and | want to pay my best
tribute to the headquarters staff here
in Washington, which worked night
and day. You were our second line
of defense, our support columns. with
out which we would have been help
less"
Mr.. Fieser compared preparations
to meet the crisis with preparations
an Army makes before entering bat
tie. He told how field headquarters
were set up in Atlanta until further
danger in the storm area was passed
and how the headquarters then moved
on to jacksonville. In the mea ntime
however. he said. trained workers and
NoluHleeIS anu great uuaplltleS OF
supplies were going in" without ceS-
SatiOn.
Everywhere. the speaker con
tinued. there were calls for trained
leadership. Every one looked to the
Rcd Cross-fOr food, for shelter. for
medical help and for spiritual as
sistanCc.. The citizen committees that
had been organized literally trans
ferred full command to the Red Cross
The relief situation. il seemed passed
through three stages. The first was
our appearance and the eagerneSS of
All to help: then the stage when
volunteers began to lag and it was
the Red Cross for the long pull. And
now we can look for the reaction,
when all will pun together again"
Address by j. Arthur Jeffers.
Mr.. Fieser was followed on the pro-
gram by J. Arthur Jeffers. assistant
TO the vice chairman, who declared
that if ever there was need for
response to \ roll cali it is for the
one which will begin next month.
Rev. A. II. Backus. chairman of the
credentials committee. reported that
400 delegates had registered at the
convention. An invitation from the
Indiana polls Chamber of Commerce to
hold the next Red Cross convention
in the Indiana metropolis was r"fer"ed
to the proper committee.