The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-06-06
War Relief Talk By
Red Cross Chairman

While the attention Of the whole
world is concentrated on the greatest
battles in history-the outcome of
which will affect the lives of millions
yet unborn-the American Red Cross
is at work mitigating the dire suffer-
ing of millions of civilian victims Of
these great battles.
SO tragic has become the plight of
these helpless millions that Red Cross
Chairman Norman H. Davis has asked
every chapter in the United States
to double the original goal Of ten mil
lion dollars. In stirring plea to chap
ter leaders, Chairman Davis said:
When American Red Cross asked
for a minimum war relief fund of
ten million dollars, no one could
fOresee that in two short weeks the
greatest tragedy in all history would
be unfolded. 1t is impossible to de-
scribe the pitiful plight of millions
of refugees in France. Sick, wound
ed, hungry and homeless, they cry
out to us for help. We will need
much more than ten million dollars,
therefore quotas originally assigned
should be regarded only as min
imum immediate objective. Chapters
should then go on and double their
quotas. In fact the only limitation
should be maximum generosity Of
American people.
Every man and woman Of good will,
every man and woman whose heart is
troubled by the greatest catastrophe Of
all times will want to do his share, will
want to express his sympathy and
compassion by contributing gener-
ously and promptly to the American
Red Cross in this great crisis.
The picture is indeed black. Five
million refugees on foot, on bicycles,
in horse-drawn vehicles, in trucks,
and on trains, are fleeing blindly be ,
fore the advancing army. Hundreds Of
thousands have been bombed from the
air and machine gunned in their flight
Many thousands are sick and wound
ed; many must leave their dead by
the roadside as they are driven re-
lentlessly forward; all are suffering
from exposure, exhaustion and hun
ger. Their cry to us rings out as of
old: "Help, or we perish.
This pitiful plea does not fall upon
deaf ears here in America. Your AM
erican Red Cross has already sent
several million dollars for war relief
and has sent over one million dollars
to its representative in Paris, and in
addition, is sending medicines, hospi-
tai supplies, ambulances, surgical
dressings, food and clothing as fast as
they can be transported to France
Within the next few days a special
Red Cross ship loaded with medicines,
surgical dressings, ambulances, hos
pital equipment, clothing and special
foods will leave New York for France.
The lives of hundreds, perhaps thous
ands Of refugees may be saved by this
American aid
Red Cross representatives aug
mented by American volunteers living
in France, are at work night and day
helping to care for these pitiful vic
tins of ruthless mechanical warfare.
Throughout our own country 3700 Red
Cross chapters are raising relief
fund to make this work possible. In
these same chapters 100000 Red Cross
volunteer women have produced over
half million garments and over two
million surgical dressings for use IN
Europe Today they are redoubling
their efforts and throughout the
months to come will continue to give
of their time and effort in order that
they may show their sympathy for
suffering humanity in a practical way.
For sixty years the American Red
Cross has been organized for meeting
emergencies, great and small Nearly
three thousand times it has been called
upon to aid disasters at home ana
abroad. Since the last great war we
need only recall the great hurricanes
in Florida in 1926 and 1928, the Mis-
sissippi Valley floods and the New
England flood of 1927, the great
drought of 1881, the devastating floods
in New England and Pennsylvania in