Evening star., 1941-08-12
10000 Tons Of Food
Distributed in Spain
By Red Cross
100000 Supplies
Given Out in 6 Months
In % Provinces
b. the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MADRID, Aug. 12.-An American
Red Cross mission has completed
distributing over 10000 tons of food,
valued at $4,000, 900, in six months Of
activity in Spain.
Col. Cary Crockett, chief of the
mission, superintended yesterday
distribution of the last shipment of
food to the Madrid area.
Another American Red Cross man
now is leading a caravan of Amer
ican trucks through eight southern
provinces, delivering tons of quinine
and other medicines to the hospitals
and clinics.
Col. Crockett, who is 63, a retired
infantryman who was campaigner
or observer in almost all the worlds
wars since 1898, commands six
American assistants and fleet Of
% American trucks. Since March
he has been cruising Spain's hunger
belt with the cooperation Of the
Spanish government and its relief
agencies.
% Provinces Given Food.
A map at Madrid headquarters Of
the American Red Cross shows that
% provinces received more than 100
tons of food each. 1t is south of
the Salamanca Madrid Barcelona
line, Col. Crockett said, that Spain's
greatest hunger is concentrated.
Col. Crockett, himself, bouncing
through the tropical heat in an
American station wagon and Sleep
ing in a roadside blanket roll when
necessary, has covered $4,000 kilo-
meters and personally has visited
provincial governors, relief stations
and hungry families in every part
of Spain. Some of his men, aboard
the big food trucks, have covered
even more territory.
The Red Cross agreement with
Spain carries the provision that
Spain will export no wheat or wheat
flour while the Red Cross is dis
tributing those commodities. The
distributors hold the receipts of
branches of the AuXilio Social and
nearly a hundred other charitable
organizations and hospitals to which
food has been given.
Col. Crockett estimated, in fact
that American Red Cross food had
fed at least 100000 Spaniards-
some one meal and others many.
He reported that Auxilio Social
the Falange State Party's offlcial
relief organization-"is doing a job
never before tackled in Spain and
showing admirable efficiency in
many instances"
Neediest Points Assisted.
When one of seven American Red
Cross ships docks from America in
Spanish port, Col. Crockett or an
assistant superintends the unload
ing, warehousing or shipping to
one of the Red Cross seven depots
in Spain.
Thereafter. the whole mission is
engaged in the main task of dis
tributing to the neediest points al
ready charted by previous inspec-
tions.
On one of these trips Col. Crockett
recalled that he gave lift to -four
barefooted Spanish women carrying
bundles on their heads who ploddeo
"a miles into the country daily
cleaning the fields in search oi
fallen grains or anything else edible
With this, they had supported fam.
lilies aggregating % children.
On another trip, he said, he met
a boy of II and girl Of who alst
were cleaning many miles from
home as the only suppliers Of fooe
for their family. They told hin
that their father for two months
had been too weak to work-because
Of hunger.
Col Crockett gave them food, but
they were most excited about 8
gift of soap which, he said. was
almost priceless in some parts oi
Spain where overcrowded homes ars
infested with lice.