Medford mail tribune., November 09, 1925, Image 7

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Record Disasters in United States
During. Year Prove Its
Peace-Time Value.
Mm
ILMOST unparalleled disasters during the past year
in me urmea utes have enabled the American
Red Cross toet a new record for peace-time service
equalled cily bv its devotion in war. The RcH Hrosa
served In 19J, Catastrophes in this country alone during this
period, Seeing from tornado and fire to mine explosions
ni. earthquake, and while meeting these extraordinary
'emergencies, it successfully continyed to administer a pro
gram of reneral service to the country of constantly increas
ing magnitude.
As a result of a single disaster the tornado which swept
five mid-Western states last Spring the Red Cross 'shoul
dered, and has now practically completed, what has proved
to be the greatest post-disaster rehabilitation project in the
world's history. Despite the unusual demands- necessarily
involved in this undertaking, the organization unfailingly
coatinnea us ministrations to nis
kbled veterans ot the World War
and their dependents, continued to
develop and extend Its life-saving
campaign In Its several branches,
broadened Its already great work In
community health, home hycjene
and cara of the sick, nutrition in
struction, and volunteer services.
Disaster Relief
Within a few hours after the mid
Western tornado, which killed more
than tot people, injured 3,000, and
inflicted a terrific property loss ona
the whole region, the Red Cross
had aet up its organization in the
Birdjt of the devastation and was
'meeting every contingency. Char
acteristic of. its method ot over
coming the emergencies ( which
arose on every side, was tbe des
patch of the anti-tetanus, or lock-jaw,
vaccina by airplane, manned by re
serve Air Service pilots of the vi-
cinity, when the injjred were
threatened with this dread compli
cation unless the remedy was re
ceived in a hurry. This is the first
recorded Instance of the use ot air
craft in relief work.
Ths Red Cross set out Immediate
ly to restore whole communities,
Including the rehabilitation of 6.000
families which had become victims
ot the disaster. In this work the
Red Cross administered a fund of
approximately $3,000,000 contributed
for the disaster victims. This was
in addition to the very largo expen
ditures, from JU own funds .required,
for administrative costs of relief
operations. Every penny of the con
tributed funds went directly to re
habilitating the families affected by
the disaster. Twelve hours after an earlhquako rocked Santa
Barbara, the organization of Red Cross relief was completed
and trained workers already had launched permanent rehabili
tation measures.
The Red Cross Is now rehabilitating more than 24,500
sufferers from four disasters In the United States alone, the
largest number ever under the cara of the organization at
any one time. v
Altogether the American Red Cross has served In the
name ot the American people In 700 disasters in the United
States during a period of 40 years. Involving an expenditure
of $41,000,000 of its own and specially contributed funds. To
meet such emergencies, it maintains an enrolled reserve ot
41.000 nurses, and has constantly In readiness special supplies
and equipment, besides funds set aside for the purpose. In
conjunctibn with the Red Cross chapters and branches In
every part of the country there is thus a machinery of mercy
which can be and Is, thrown into high gear in an instant,
wherever the need arises.
Red Cross Chapters
' There are more than 3.000 of these chapters in the cities
and towns of the United States, more chapters and local units
than Uiere are counties, so scarcely a spot in the country is
without the protection of the Red Cross. The work of the
Red Cross is carried on through its National Organization, and
!tEf?2sWI-
pared with 1.000.000 last year, and 173.822 garment, compare w1,n
150.000 last year. Of the 214 vohyiteors whose names were listed
with the Now York chapter, for Instance. 198 were actively engaged
throughout the year, aud altogether 34,256 hours were thus given to
canteen, health aid, home service, and motor duty, including 4,671
hours typing Braille matter. Such incidents represent only a small
part, howover, of tbe whole story of Red Cross chapter work.
For World War and Other Service Men.
The work of the American Red Cross for World War veterans
and those dependent upon them abounds in some of the most inter
esting aud frequently, most touching details of chapter work, as well
ivi nil' 'a'AsiwtfK' "jml 'mi i iisvtw ) -m
fir c!ffsmEfSi
SECTION OF A BUSY COMMUNITY RIPPED APART
IN A FEW MINUTES BY A TORNADO.
Upp6f flight A TORNADO APPROACHES BEARING
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. Re.s.
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BUSINESS in
IN STRICKEN
through Its chapters and local nnlts, and much
ot ths glorious achievement In relief work la
wrlttea in tha records ot the chapters them
selves. When a crumbling mountain on the Island
of 9urfgao, Philippine Islands, rolled down upon
a community of 10.000 people, killing 24, wound
Inc 47, and destroying 27 houses, Kovernor
Coleto, tha presiding official of that region, lost
Tillages, some oh piles above sluggish waters
where crocodiles lurk, it might be thought the
Red Cross would be far from home, but through
out the 1200 miles of such tropical country, Red
Cross workers move about on their- missions.
Famine and typhoon have demonstrated that
the care of this organization reaches even back
into the jungle, and the Roll Calls for member
ship reveal that these services are appreciated
THE AMERICAN R.ED CROSS LENDS A HELPING HAND TO PEOPLE
OVERTAKEN BY CATASTROPHE IN .OTHER COUNTRIES.
ao time in asking' the Philippines Chapter for Population everywhere.
aid, and this Vpeal was promptly met with
funds and other asslManca. Red Cross work In
tha Philippines is thoroughly organized, and
haa tha enthusiastic interest and support ot
ths populatloa.
In these Islands of picturesque, palm-thatched
Vsrled ss their location, is the work of the
Red Cross chapters. Jobs for 112 war veterans
whose capabilities ranged from waiters to
health Inspectors, snd whose number Included
67 disabled, were found by the New York county
chapter In one month. For the benefit of such
men. the co-operation of city employers
has been enlisted, and one establishment
has an entire department manned by men,
every one of whom is minus an arm, a
leg, or whose spine is injured to a crip
pling degree.
Judge John Barton Payne, Chairman ot
the American Hed Cross, has declared that
"Volunteer service Is the life of the Ttcd
Cross," and gcting on this thought, volunt
teer Red Cross workers are constantly
devoting time and effort of Inestimable
value. They have produced tills year 07,
4M pages of Braille reading matter for
the blind, compared with 17.000 pages last
year; 1.317,716 surgical dressings, com-
blR.ICK.EN
SANTA BARBARA
AREA
" ' ; i
as the work, of the organlzrttlca gen
erally. , 1
Tho Red Cross recognizes, that its
frrat-dtity-tt to ttre-ah and . disabled -bovs
who served In the Woi ld War,,
cx-nervlce men, and tkelr depend
ents. Mora than 100,000 ( disabled
voterans and their families are
helped by the Red Cross every month. -Besides
these duties, it has continued
In poace the same services to the 249,000
soldiers, sailors and marines stall on. active
luty, that it gave to those in war.. 'It has
expended $33,000,000 under these heaids since
the ArmiHtico. , ,'
Special Rod Cross service Is madnttatned In
every Government hospital for the iMsabled, and
this service consists In letter-wrttmg for bed-
ridden patients, shopping, banking, assistance in'
making out disability and other j Government
benefits, supplying personal comforts, visiting the families,
the patients, and In Innumerable ways aiding; him and bis
fnmlly and dependents during the long periods of recovery.
Many chnptors have only volunteer workers, who all these
years after the war, are spending time and strength, and
often tbeir own money, in this cause. '
Foreign Operationa j
I.Ike the men in service for whom It carajs, the Ameri
can Red Cross goes overseas when ths call dimes. In tha
past few years, the Red Cross has played an Important
part In disasters in Japan, and 25 other countries in vir
tually every part ot the world.
Other 8ervicea
Under the American Red Cross 1,000 Public Health
nurses Rre kept busy helping to build up' and maintain
community.hnnlthr reducing tha death rate among mothers
and Infants by Instruction in pre-natal oare and Infant
welfnro; antl tuberculosis nursing, preventing tbe spread
of this disease; beside nursing and home visiting; school
Inspections and follow-up work looking to correction of
physical dofects and to building up weak children. Many
Red Cross public health' nurses organize classes In home
hygiene and caro of tho sick, as well as first aid. In these
and ninny other ways, they fill an important niche in the
life of tholr communities. i
In the past year alone, the Red Cross hss instructed
67,281 women, girls, and boys In Home Hygiene and Care
of the Sick, touching them how to fight disease in their
homes, showing thorn the essentials of keeping well, and
demonstrating bow tliey may intelligently assist In cases
of emergency and illness.
Realizing the rotation ot nutrition and' the right foods
to good health, special attention has been given to this
phase of health work hy tho Red Cross. In the past year
13S.065 school children have been Instructed In nutrition,
and 31,000 adults have also boon taught at home.
It has been calculated that, persons drowned In tha
United States In the past 11 years, if alive today, would
ho sufficiently numerous to fill the huge Yale Football
Howl. To curtail those thousands of needless deaths from
this cause, the Red Cross this year added 21,000 persona
to the thousands who already have been mads proficient
In water rescue and resuscitation. These trained life
savers, living all over the United States, are playing aa
important part In tha never-ceasing campaign of water
safely.
Knrolled In the Junior Rod Cross are 5.5SS.6M school
children, learning and practicing Ideals ot aervlce. All
these activities aro carried on In the name ef the Ameri
can people, sine tbe American Red Cross, by a charter
given It by Congress, Is recogulzed aa the volunteer relief
agency nf the people.
, Under this charier ths American Red Cross haa
assumed definite responsibilities, but the extant to which
it is able to meet these obligations Is governed by the
popular support accorded Ita work by the people. In
Ibis respect It occupies a status peculiar to Itself.
Because ot thla fact the Annual Roll Call which is
held each year frm Armistice Day to Thanksgiving is
especially significant. Since the work of the American
Red Cross Is maintained largely by ths dollar membership
ot the Individual American, tha scope of Red'Crosa work
U In direct proportion to this response front ths people.
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