Evening star., 1951-07-20
Truman Asks Nation
For S. Million Gifts
To Aid Flood Victims

Spurred by President Truman,
the Red Cross today called on
the American people to raise at
least S. million for the flood Suf-
ferers in Missouri. Kansas, Illinois
and Oklahoma.
The President set the goal in
a letter yesterday to E. Roland
Hartman. Red Cross president,
who at once asked the press, ra-
dio and advertising business to
lend their resources to the drive,
which will be conducted by local
Red Cross groups.
Mr.. Truman moved for the
general fund as he allocated
$275,000 to relief in Missouri fol-
lowing a request from Gov. For
rest Smith.
Housing 1880 Already.
This money, as was the case
with $275,000 given to Kansas
last week, came from an unex-
pected Government relief fund.
The President has not yet started
distributing the $25 million just
voted by Congress.
The Red Cross already is hous-
ing 1880 people and feeding
42,600 in the four-State area.
In his letter to Mr.. Hartman
the President said:
Early yesterday 7 returned
from a survey flight over the
fiood-stricken areas Of Kansas,
Missouri and Oklahoma. I was
appalled, at what 7 saw. The ex-
tent and the violence of the
destruction to homes, farms and
industries was tragic.
But at the same time there
was a heartening thing to be
seen. This was the magnificent
way in which help was forth
coming. speak of the relief work
carried out by the various
branches of the military, by the
Federal, State and municipal
governments and by the Red
Cross. There were many others.
Vital Job to Be Done. /
The act under which the $25
million authorized by Congress
will be expended specifies that the
responsibilities of the Red Cross
shall not be limited or in any way
affected. I
In addition to all that the con-
stituted authorities can do to help
restore normal life in the commu-
mites, there is a vital job to be
done by the Red Cross. That job
is with people, with those whose
lives have been so dislocated by
their flood losses that, without /.
help, they cannot get back on their
feet. Human welfare is the most !.
important job. It is job that
cannot wait. It was for that rea-
son the people through the Con-
gress, in 1905, officially intrusted I
the responsibility for such work to Is
the American National Red Cross. 10
The real work of the Red Cross t
IN the flood area is just beginning n
Its heaviest task is still ahead. It
Months from now, long after the b
memory Of these floods is slipping C
from the minds of people in other
sections. the Red Cross will still v
be on the job assisting the victims. C.
The money the Red Cross pro- Itt
Vides for rebuilding a house or a
FOR refurnishing it, or for helping "a
family to find the means to help
Itself, will be given outright, not N
ent. This assistance will be given a.
only on the basis of the needs of
the families involved. c
The job of the Red Cross is a
going to take a lot of money O
more than the Red Cross can "
provide from it's present resources.
For that reason I call upon all
Americans now to contribute as Il
generously as they can, at least Il
s5 million, through their local %,
Red Cross chapters to aid our
dood-stricken fellow citizens in
kansas. Missouri. Oklahoma and S
r1IinoiS