Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-03-26
More Than Million in
Twenty States Fed BY
Red Cross Volunteers
Hot School Lunches and Bal
anced Rations Given to
Drought Victims-Seed Pro-
grams Instituted on Wide
Scale

came under the care OF b American
Red Cross in what developed into thu
most extensive relief operations In hal
. century Of ministering to stricken
humanity.
Measures to lessen the severity o.
the blow inflicted by drought vert
taken as early as last September. when
seed was distributed to more than IS,
900 families for the planting Of rye and
other pastures, and to more than 81.
600 families for the planting Of kitchen
gardens. The expenditure for this pur'
pose amounted to 1926. 800. Green vege.
tables were made available up to the
FIRST OF January.
Early In February another Red Cross
garden program got under way and
607,0 900 packages Of seed were distrib-
uted in Is states. Quarter-acre plots
were planted to beans, beets, cabbage,
carrots, collard, sweet corn, kale, let
tuce, mustard, okra, onions, peas,
spinach. squash, tomatoes and turnips.
Once again were farm families given
the opportunity to participate in their
own salvation.
A comparatively mild winter contrib
uted to the success of the Spring and
Fall seed campaigns. Many habitual
single-croppers were introduced to the
advantages Of kitchen gardens, bal
anced cropping and balanced diet.
Numerous landowners have expressed
the opinion that this constitutes the
one apparent blessing to come out Of
the drought catastrophe. The United
States Department Of Agriculture and
the local county agricultural agents
and home demonstration agents CO.
operated in making this part Of the 70
lief operations outstandingly success
full.
Balanced Meals Served
Red Cross feeding was aimed It ads-
quacy and scientific correctness, ~
well as simple economy. In large num-
bers OF schools. where children were
found to be attending with little or
nothing in their lunch boxes. hot meals
were served at noon. A typical menu
consisted OF vegetable soup and bread
n day; thick beef soup or stew with
vegetables another day: cocoa or milk
and cheese, peanut butter. Or Jam
sandwiches, . third day.
In some places where lunches were
not served In the schools. but were pro-
vided for In the regular food orders,
each family having school children re-
ceived extra staples for school lunches
including peanut butter. ~raisins. prunes
and tomatoes. Red Cross nutritionists
instructed mothers In the preparation
OF lunches.
County health officers and private
physicians commended the adequacy
OF rations procured on orders issued
by Red Cross chapters, which were
filled at local stores. Besides the usual
staples. such as corn meal. flour. lard,
meat, beans and potatoes. such items
as canned salmon. cabbage, tomatoes,
vegetables and milk were provided.
each order being adapted to the special
needs Of the family for whom It ~
issued. Where pellagra threatened.
eggs, yeast and other ~preventives were
given.
Thousands Of Volunteer Workers
Many thousands of volunteers.
through their local Red Cross chapters,
gave freely Of their time, experience
and efforts, as in other Red Cross Dis
aster operations. They searched out
needy cases In their communities,
many persons being restrained from
asking assistance because Of pride.
Chapter committees investigated cir.
cumstances, distributed food and cloth
ing.
More than 500 carloads of foodstu6s
were contributed. These were given
free haulage by railroads. Farmers Of
more fortunate sections embraced the
opportunity to help their pastoral
cousins OF the affected area- Shipments
ranged from live poultry to nsh, from
grain to grapefruit. Carloads Of -four.
eggs, beans, vegetables, onions, rice,
corn and mixed vegetables were In
cluded.
As the result OF co-ordinated Red
Cross chapter efficiency, not one au-
thenticated case OF starvation as q re
suit of drought has been uncovered.
Large quantities Of new and used
clothing were distributed. In direct
consequence many school children re-
sumed their studies who had been kept
at home 70. lack of sufficient protection
from the elements. In some instances,
rural schools that had been closed
were enabled to reopen as a result Of
Red Cross relief work.
States involved we're: Alabama, Ar
kansas, Georgia. Illinois, Indiana, Ken.
lucky. Louisiana. Maryland. Missis.
sippi, Missouri. Montana, North Caro-
lima, North Dakota. Ohio, Oklahoma.
Pennsylvania, Tennessee. Texas, vir-
ginia, West Virginia.
Many OF these States had been hard
hit by 4 succession Of floods, crop fail
ures, low prices and economic depres-
sion. and drought constituted Z climax
to the cycle Of distress.
Wherever l went" wrote one OBJ
server. Il made a point Of asking what
would have happened II the Red Cross
had not been able to respond. In wide
ly scattered points, from leading citi
zens, came the answer that undoubted
w fhara wnuld have hAAn many dAnfha