TABLE OF CONTENTS Statistical Highlights — - — 3 Foreword — - 5 Part I. The Background — 7 The Story in Brief 7 Sources of Funds and Supplies — - 11 Chapter Production — — 13 Junior Red Cross War Relief Activities - 14 Part II. Country by Country — 15 Great Britain 15 British Middle East - 17 France 18 China - — 20 Finland - — - - — 22 Spain — - — 23 Greece 25 Yugoslavia — - — - 27 Norway and the Low Countries - 28 Part III. Special Services - - 29 Inquiry and Information - -— 29 Prisoners of War - — 3° Repatriation of Americans - - 32 Table I. Fund Statement — 34 Table II. General Summary of Relief Operations ...... 35 Table III. Summary of Expenditures and Commitments by Types of Relief Made Available - - - 36 Table IV. Estimated Value of Chapter Produced or Donated Supplies Shipped Abroad for Relief..... — 37 Table V. Statistical Summary of Agencies and Volunteers Cooperating in the Distribution of Supplies and the Number of Persons Aided in Each Foreign Country 38 PART I—THE BACKGROUND The Story in Brief The war-born organization of the Red Cross was ready when war again struck Europe in September 1939. With its sixty years of experience in meeting emergency needs, the American Red Cross had a going organization prepared to offer assistance to war sufferers without delay. Funds were im-mediately available; a supply department was ready to make purchases and arrange shipping; relations built up over the years with Government depart¬ments and agencies prevented delays; a broad network of nearly ten thousand chapters and branches throughout the country formed a permanent channel through which those wishing to aid war sufferers could direct their efforts. Nor was it necessary to establish new agencies abroad. The International Red Cross Committee in Geneva, with a background of 75 years of prepara¬tion to serve as a neutral intermediary in time of war, immediately estab¬lished its Central Agency for Prisoners of War, appointed delegates in bel-ligerent countries, and called the attention of governments to their obliga¬tions assumed under international conventions. The League of Red Cross Societies, the federal body of the national Red Cross societies established in 1919 to promote peacetime activities, moved its office to Geneva and offered the services of its Secretariat in the organization of relief efforts to meet the needs of civilians struck by the disaster of war. The Red Cross societies in the affected nations provided established organizations through which assist¬ance could be administered, while their sister societies throughout the world could immediately make arrangements to send help. Early in September the American Red Cross began the production of war relief garments and surgical dressings in its local chapters, announced plans developed with the State Department for meeting returning Americans, transmitted the first inquiries regarding the location and welfare of persons in war-affected countries, provided funds to meet the needs of Polish refugees, and began the purchase of medical supplies, clothing, blankets, and shoes for distribution in Poland. A Red Cross delegation left by clipper for Europe to survey existing conditions and to prepare for continuing assistance. Travel¬ing throughout the continent, this delegation worked out satisfactory agree¬ments with the governments and established acceptable plans for relief opera¬tions. The March of Mercy Pending the development of satisfactory arrangements for the extension of American Red Cross aid in the Government General area of Poland, relief was extended to Polish refugees who had fled to Roumania, Hungary, Yugo¬slavia, Latvia, and Lithuania. At the same time the first assistance to France was given through the French Red Cross to help persons evacuated from 7