By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Whereas the American National Red Cross, chartered by the Congress as a voluntary agency of the American people, has accepted important new responsibilities in the present national emergency, at the request of the Government; and
Whereas this organization must continue to provide vitally needed services to the members of our expanding armed forces in military installations and hospitals around the world, as well as to their families, and to war veterans and their dependents; and
Whereas the Red Cross is expanding its facilities across the nation to meet any eventuality, while continuing to aid the unfortunate victims of fire, flood, tornado, and other catastrophes; and
Whereas, in addition to its duties of providing for the normal blood needs of the ill and injured in our civilian population, the Red Cross has been designated the national coordinating agency in a program for the procurement of vast quantities of blood and for the stockpiling of blood plasma for defense purposes; and
Whereas the Red Cross, in this time of national emergency, has been asked to train millions in health and safety skills, and to recruit additional thousands of workers in its vast network of 3,738 chapters located in every county of our land; and
Whereas the Red Cross is appealing for voluntary contributions amounting to $85,000,000 as the minimum goal needed to carry out these additional assignments during the coming fiscal year, as well as to continue its regular health and welfare services for the protection of our people:
Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the American National Red Cross, do hereby designate the month of March 1951 as Red Cross Month; and I urge every American to respond during that month as generously as possible to the urgent need of this humanitarian organization.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this 13th day of February in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-fifth.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
By the President:
DEAN ACHESON,
Secretary of State.
Harry S Truman, Proclamation 2917—Red Cross Month, 1951 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/287409