Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
cleaned in the
- Mississippi valley foods re-
Gently fortifies the American

- Mississippi Valley foods re.
Gently fortifies the American
IL Red Cross in its disaster knowl-
edge. Should another earth
quake rock San Francisco or the
Woolworth Building in New York
topple down today or any community
almost anywhere in the United States
be stricken this great huma nitarian
organization is prepared to cope with
! the scourge with woodworking
machinery that Is only catapulted into
the public gaze in times that try mems
souls. This vigilant force, every ready
to rush succor TO suffering communi-
ties. and prepared for disaster at any
point in the Nation. has it's focal cen.
| ter in Washington, under the able d.
rection of James l.. Fieser, vice chair
man in charge of domestic operations.
There are $500 local Red Cross
chapters scattered over the landau
most one for every county-forminG
| the basis for relief work. The local
chapter is the local base, and to the
question when does the Red Cross
get on the job after disa ster?" Mr.
| Fieser answers, THE moment the 10.
cal chapter gets busy and, invariably
that is Immediately"
Ready for Emergencies.
| Plans to handle disaster are pre-
pared beforehand by the efficient Red
Cross unit. Headquarters here has
issued a booklet entitled when Dis
aster Strikes" giving information
based on the wealth of experience
CLEANED In emergencies, large and
small. Committees on food, clothing,
shelter, medical aid, finance and trans
their tasks when affection bowls over
the community. Lists of available
public halls, locations of food supplies,
clothing, bedding and medicines; and
n, mes, addresses and telephone mum.
h1rs of capable workers are ready for
| instant use.
Personnel are organized and schooled
in their duties should disaster come.
| including physicians, nurses. social
workers, motor corps, canteen work
ers and production committees-pri-
marily people who are accustomed to
act with promptnejs and decision. Not
only are local relief resources ap.
praised, but those of other communi-
| ties to which it may be Necessary to
turn. Help which may be available
from agencies like the Army, Navy
arf National Guard Is known.
Disaster preparedness denotes a sur
vey showing where emergency food
supplies, such as groceries, meat, can
ned goods. bread and milk can be OBJ
tanned and where cots. mattresses.
blankets, clothing, cooking utensils
and stoves may be secured. Street
car and motor truck facilities and
high, level ground that may be used
for a tent colony, the position Of sup
plies with regard to potential floods,
| fires and explosions and the best
means Of mobilizing these resources
rapidly are part and parcel of the
vital information.
The Red Cross chapter chairman
and his aids know the hazardous.
potential disaster spots in their COM
munity-danger zones like mines,
arsenals, powder mills, munition
plants, river areas likely to be flooded,
and make special plans to meet such
emergencies. Public officials, fire and
police departments, telephone and
telegraph offices and newspapers are
part Of he preparedness plan to notify
the chapter chairman of any calamity
| Immediately, SO that the relief ma
chinery may be set in motion without
delay.
Some Of the large communities of
the country, Mr.. Fieser says, have
very complete organizations for dis
aster work, even down to having
storehouses stocked with emergency
material. Bulwarking this far-fung
organization, he adds, the machinery
| of the American Medical Association
is available, through the national,
| State and county units. The Ameri-
| can Red Cross maintains as a reserve
for the Army and Navy 10000 nurses,
| w ich form a reservoir for disaster
work. Then, too, Mr.. Fieser points out,
there is mobile disaster relief agency
| in the first-aid railroad car, which can
| ha v,tchad 70 anu nCiY1f in roril the
railroads give it right OF way. In Pc
riod: of normally the car, with two
experienced men on board, is a base
| for firSt-aid instruction for railroad
men and communities along its route.
1t makes a tour across the continent.
starting in at designated railroad
system and traversing all its lines.
| Field STATS Work.
| Supplementing these groups field
staff of Is or 20 is giving first aid and
| life saving lectures over the country,
| aiding the local chapters in this work,
| and in times of national stress are
available for relief duty. National
| headquarters, too, has its experts that
can be dispatched to a disaster of
| great magnitude. For instance, Mr..
| Fieser observes, A. l.. Shafer. assist
| ant national director OF the Junior Red
| Cross, Is now directing the entire re-
| lief operation in the State of Missis
| sippi, while NJ. K. Reckord. assistant
national director of first aid and life
saving, is also active in the recently
| flooded area. AS soon as work of this
| nature is completed the national OFF,
Gals go back to their regular assign
mentS.
Mr.. Fieser attributes this wide
awake spirit of readiness to meet any
disaster over the land to the fact that
Red Cross chapters are alive and do
| ing things all the time.
"At no point are they muscle bound
or RUSTY" he declares