Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 9, Number 50, DeMotte, Jasper County, 2 November 1939 — Quick War Relief Given by Red Cross [ARTICLE]

Quick War Relief Given by Red Cross

Shipwrecked American Citizens, Wounded Poles, Refugees, Repatriates Aided Washington—The American Red Cross moved quickly at the onset of hostilities in Europe to organize relief for war sufferers and give aid to American'citizens stranded in danger zones or rescued from sea-warfare catastrophe. Red Cross officials pointed out that following contact of German-Polish forces on September 1, the organization made available medical relief for civilians and armies of Poland; provided aid for Americans repatriating from Europe as they landed in the United States ports; granted medical and maintenance assistance to American survivors of the “Athenia,” first sea casualty of the war; gave financial aid to the American Hospital in Paris, France; and developed a comprehensive communications system to allay the fears of distraught relatives. Norman H Davis, chairman, cabled the International Red Cross Committee in Geneva on September 1 asking what relief would be needed from the Ameri-can-Red Cross. In a first step in consolidating Red Cross relief forces throughout the nation, 3,700 Red Cross chapters were authorized to begin producing refugee garments and to accept contributions for war relief. A quick response from the Polish Red Cross to Chairman Davis’ cable to the International Committee resulted in an American Red Cross appropriation of $50,000 for the purchase of 45 items of medicines, and for army blankets and a quantity of large hospital tents capable of housing 50 stretcher cases each.

A grant of $25,000 was also mad© to the American Hospital in Paris to evacuate American patients from the hospital and to purchase in the United States a 100 (bed hospital unit for shipment to the -American organization, it was said. To meet needs which were thought likely to result from bombardment of rural villages and the passage of hostile armies, the Red Cross called upon 21 of its large city chapters to roll surgical dressings of a special new typo for European warfare injuries. More than 500,000 yards of gauze were purchased and 40,000 pounds of cotton, enough to make 157,000 surgical dressings. On September 2, the American Red Cross announced it was organizing to meet repatriating American citizens at seaport cities through chapter reception committees. Citizens without resources were given temporary shelter, and aided to resettle in their former homes or work. Between September 5 and 7, the American Red Cross cabled $20,000 through the State Department to help American survivors of the “Athenia,” who had been taken into Irish and Scotch ports “The Red Cross is not interested in the origins of the present conflict,” Chairman Davis declared follow’ing his cabled offer of assistance to the International red Cross Committee. “As part of the great International Red Cross it is our duty to do what we can to aid the helpless civilians who will suffer during the hostilities.” An Inquiry and Information Service was organized through which contact would be made with relatives of Americans in the belligerent countries. Red Cross chapters were instructed to accept funds for the purchase of supplies for impartial distribution and funds for purchase of supplies for a designated country to be expended through the Red Cross society of that nation.