The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-01-30
CONTROVERSY
. CROWS IN RED
!. CROSS RANKS
General John M. Wilson
Presents Memorial
to Congress.
Includes Letter From Secre-
tary Cortelyou to
Clara Barton.
Members Protest Against New By
- Laws, Alleging They Place Or
ganization in Power of
One Person.

WASHINGTON, Jam sf-The dissatis-
faction within the National Red Cross So
csety over the management Of fits affairs
and the alleged domination and control
~ its destiny by single person has been
put on record with Congress.
General John NJ Wilson, vice president
of the society. presented TO Congress to-
day a memorial regarding that organiza-
tion. especially in reference to its diff
nculties Included in the papers Is a let
Ter from Secretary -Cortelyou TO Miss
Clara Barton, president OF the Red Cross.
in which he. SAYS that in accordance with
a COPY Of fhe. bx-laws submitted by the
sssociatfonFth e-President and his Cabinet
are constituted a board Of consultation
ol the American Red Cross Society. Mr..
Oortelyou ssNs 1T. is impossible for the
president and Cabinet 10 serve and asks
that public announcement be made Of the
fact o.
RULE BY INDIVIDUAL.
CoGiJlsfus Is made in a memorial sent
10 Bfesfient Roosevelt Of the manner in
which the organization is placed in the
hands az one person and OF the manage
u.tnt 20 tbe finances OF the association.
4 letter ia the memorial gives an account
- the franher i'm which the new bylaws
els " Water. Miss Clara Barton. pres
1deut Of the organization. secured large
number II proxies for the meeting on the
representation that she desired 10 secure
''some slight changes i'm the bylaws of
The Red Cross. and then at the meeting
Presented an entirely new set Of bylaws.
which among other things permitted the
president Of the organization TO be elected
for life: gave the president power TO ap-
point a president pro tenn in case of
Sickness or absence with fun power, and
created an executive committee consisting
ri the president and four members. the
latter TO be appointed by the president
eject AIr- Foster at the meeting protest
Ell against the adoption Of the bylaws
which had not been printed. but they
were adopted. 135 to So, = of the votes
being cast by proxies
CONTIGUOUS LETTER.
The letter Of Secretary Cortelyou TO
Miss Barton follows:
Certain members of the Red cross. includ-
ing ex-Secretsry OF State John ". Foster. ex-
Secretary of The Navy Hilary A. Herbert
Brgadier General John NJ Wilson (retiredl.
Thomas r. Walsh. Simon Wolf. Mrs J. Ellen
Foster. Miss Boardmsn and various other
ladies and gentlemen Of high standing. have
sent the PRESIDENT letter 81 which a copy
Is herewith sent 10 you and accompanying ID
Is COPY of what purp0rts 10 be The bylaws
recently adopted by the American Red Cross.
n further letter the President has been In
formed that the treasurer 81 the Red Cross.
W. j. Flatheir has resigned on account OF
dissatisfaction with what D. alleged % be a
loose and improper arrangement for securing
rbe needed accounts bffitx f0r ana str,e-vfsio9
~ the disbursements OF the money furnish he'd
Ia time of eNigency the Red Cross by the
charitable public II appears from these bv-
laws that the President Of the United States
and bis Cabinet are constituted a board Of
consultation Cor the American Red Cross. Il
q not possible for the President or any mem
her OF his Cabinet serve such a com
mittee and the President directs me to re-
quest YOU 20 have II publicly announced that
The President and Cabinet cannot so serve.
The memorial to the President concludes
as follows:
By the aboye-cited provisions Of the by
laws We claim that the policy Of this organ
i2atiQn and the administration Of its finances
ere placed within the arbitrary power OF 4
single person Legislation is asked to relieve
The condition.