Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-14
Officials Expect to Raise Sum
Readily for People in
Drought Areas.
COMBINATION PROPOSED
WITH COMMUNITY CHEST
Question Will Be Discussed by
Leaders of Both Groups-U. S.
Responds to Appeal.

Executives and campaign workers of
the local unit Of the American Red
Cross today were engaged in whipping
into form plans for raising the local
quota Of 100000 of the national bud
get of $10,000.000 for the thousands
faced with starvation as a result of the
national drought disaster, for which
President Hoover yesterday sounded
call nationally.
While local Red Cross officials declare
they anticipate no possibility of failure
of the drive for the Washington quota.
every possible means of assuring quick
success in going over the top" in COL
lecting the 100000 fund is being
studied
One suggestion, for the combination
of the local Red Cross appeal with the
budget campaign of the washington
Community Chest, scheduled to start
January 26, as a means of avoiding
confusion or competition between the
two causes, will be the subject of con-
ferences this afternoon between leaders
OF the two organizations.
Further Discussion Due.
Brig. Gen. Frank r. Keefer, United
States Army, retired, head of the Dis
trict Chapter, American Red Cross,
said today that while no final CAM
paign arrangements had been con-
Guided, he had conferred with Elwood
Street, director of the Community
Chest, with regard to combining the
two local appeals.
kilograms to the National Red Cross
organization from various sections Of
the country indicate that some chapters
already have begun work on their
quotas and few already have sent in
their fun quota funds, John Barton
Payne, national chairman of the Red
Cross, announced this morning
Judge Payne terms the drought relief
program one designed to alleviate "the
greatest peace-time emergency the Red
Cross has ever been called upon to
meet
Suffering resulting from the drought
conditions over large areas Of the coIn-
| try presents conditions creating an even
| greater emergency than that resulting
from the Mississippi Valley flood Of
| 1927, when the Red Cross expended
$16,994, 868 for the relief Of approxi-
mately 100000 persons, Judge Payne
] declared in urging the necessity of
Nationwide public support for the Red
| Cross budget.
More Being Aided Now.
While at the peak of the Mississippi
Valley flood work we were feeding and
providing living quarters in refugee
camps for $4,000 people, we find today
that we have already given drought
assistance to 100000 persons" Judge
Payne declared, land calls are increas-
ing daily indicating that the peak of
the emergency is not yet in sight.
In the Mississippi River flood we
cared for people in ITO counties. We
are now feeding drought victims in $50
counties, and had previously given seed
to families in 238 counties"
kilograms coming in from workers
and county chairmen in the drought
areas indicate that conditions are grow
ing worse daily. A wire late this morn
ing from st. Louis told of dropping
temperature and snow over Southern
Missouri and Northern Arkansas to add
to the suffering of the drought stricken.
Kentucky workers tell of hundreds of
homes visited where no food is in the
house and no fire in the stove. In many
OF these areas the only way of discover
ing the want is by a house-to-house
check, as, in some instances, the suffer-
ers are too proud to ask aid, and others
lack clothing and shoes to 60 into the
Wintry air and walk over the icy ground
to the Red Cross centers.
Record Of Past Campaigns.
Discussing the local Red Cross budget
campaign, Gen. Keefer said today:
We feel no apprehension of our abil-
ity to raise our 100000 quota in the
District of Columbia During the Mis-
Sissippi flood emergency of 1927, when
our quota was fixed at the same amount
we were able to raise $4,000; at the
time of the Japanese earthquake emer-
gency we raised $125, 900, when our
quota was fixed at $780, 000'
Gen. Keefer will give a five-minute
address over radio station WRC tonight,
appealing to the people of the District
Continued on. Page 2, Column S.