The St. Paul echo. [volume] (St. Paul ;) 1925-1927, 1927-06-18
Evils and Abuses Reported From
Some Camps Ordered to
Be Corrected.
Abuses To Be Corrected
Conditions in Camps Ideal
Where COlOred Leaders -
Advise Red Cross.

1SSu SloSSs
Baton Rouge, La, June 1S-(Staff
Correspondence Associated Negro
Press)-Secretary Herbert Hoover,
in charge of flood relief, learned the
story of the great Mississippi disas-
ter from a new angle Saturday. He
saw it through the eyes of the Negro
refugee as he sat in conference in
the unique old state capitol building
here with the colored Advisory Com
mission on Mississippi Flood Relief
and listened to the detailed reports
of what this commission appointed
by him ten days ago to investigate
complaints from refugee camps and
suggest solutions for problems found
had seen and heard.
Correction Ordered.
At the conclusion of the meeting
in which James L. Fieser, active di-
recting head of the National Red
Cross in the stricken territory, and
his assistant, Robert L. Bondy, also
sat, Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Fieser or
dered the immediate correction of
the evils and abuses reported from
some of the camps and arranged to
retain a subcommittee of the COM
mission for service and advice in the
big task of rehabilitation which
faces the country. Doctor Robert R..
Motion, presided at the meeting. The
reports presented showed conditions
almost ideal in some of the camps,
especially where colored leaders had
been called in to advise with the
local Red Cross and been given COM
plete charge of any activities, but
members of the commission were bit
ter in their comment on conditions in
several camps, particularly at Green
vile, Mississippi; Opolansas, Louisi-
ana, and Sicily Island, Louisiana.
The searching Investigations carried
on by the members of the commits
sion, who, amid great hardships,
travelling night and day through the
flooded district at times, taking the
same fare as the refugees, visited
thirty camps, disclosed one outstand-
ing fact in regard to the flood relief.
The National Red Cross not only has
done a gigantic, staggering task in
rescuing, hou4ng, and protection of
the refugees and done it efficiently,
but it has been eminently fair and
just in it's orders and practices. In
those camps where unfair treatment
was meted out the commission placed
the blame squarely on the shoulders
of the local Red Cross committees
composed of the white southern citi-
zens of the communities where the
camps were located.
Work in Units.
Red Cross activities are based
upon county units which are active
or in form in times of peace as well
as disaster, and the final word and
contact with the refugees is in it's
hands. These men in the instances
complained of interpreted or rather
misinterpreted the policy of the
National Red Cross to suit them
selves, giving out clothing and sup
plies and arranging camp programs
according to their idea of what Ne
groes needed rather than what the
Red Cross laid down in it's orders.
Every criticism was noted by Mr..
Fieser and machinery set in motion
to improve the conditions pointed out
at once. Because of the lightning
speed with which the Red Cross
works the commission expects its
recommendations to take effect at
once. Among the things asked were
the immediate removal of white
militia from those camps where they
carried rifles, the provision of prop
er eating facilities, including tables,
seating arrangements and utensils at
Openlansas, Sicily Island and Vicks-
burg, the only camps where they
were inadequate, the establishment
of auxiliaries to the Red Cross COM
posed of colored men and women in
those places containing camps where
they were not now functioning and
that these committees be allowed to
cooperate with the different reha-
Utilization committees located in the
different states or counties, so that
fair dealing with the needy tenant
and land owner may be assured.
Health Excellent.
The commission reported health in
the camps excellent, but six inmates
having died with very little sickness.