On another page will be found a brief account of the recent great
dynamite explosion in Baltimore with the relief measures which followed.
The incident offers an excellent illustration of the adaptability of Red
Cross methods and of the fact that the organization, though national
in scope and policy, is none-the-less local in its relations and an
integral part of the community in which its service is needed. When a
disaster is of such magnitude or character that local agencies of relief
are prostrated or overwhelmed, the Red Cross is prepared to provide the
necessary machinery for relief distribution; in smaller disasters the Red
Cross simply joins hands with other local agencies and lends its strength
and influence to concentration of resources and cooperative effort.
In time it is hoped that at least in our larger cities and towns there
will exist Red Cross Chapters in affiliation with all the local agencies
that can be utilized in case of disaster, so that relief work at such
times will all become Red Cross work.