Arizona republican., 1903-05-20
7HoENIx. ARIZONA. MAY 20. 1903.
Hiss Barton and the Red Cross.

For publieat atlOn today (May ZO) we have received from Miss Clara Barton, the honored president of the American National Red Cross. a letter asking the people to contribute funds to enable her to carry out plans which she has had under consideration for some months. This, in her words. is plan for so broadening and strengthening the or ganization of the Red Cross. that It may enter on a new field of useful ac tivity-on a work that will appeal di- rectly to the people everywhere. and prepare them in these times of peaceful well-being to meet intelligently and successfully any emergency or disaster that may occur. either nationally or in- dividually. It Is my desire" she adds. that this new work shall be the means of creating ample funds to meet any great national calamity, and that the Red Cross may hereafter enter the field fully equipped at the instant the call may come" Miss Barton's letter is too long to reproduce in this issue of The RepuD- lican, but the purposes of her appeal arc stated in the words we have quoted.
 To the unfortunate controversy which has disrupted the Red Cross organiza- tion to some extent during the past few months, Miss Barton in her communi- cation make but passing allusion, and this in her opening paragraph. Dur ing the entire period of the present diff ferences among sections of the mem bers of the American National Red Cross" she says, "I have never once felt that it was the desire of the Ameri- can people that I should personally enter within the circle of disturbance, and have consequently remained si- lent and sorrowful spectator of a con- troversy that appeared to me to be lead ing where no true. loyal friend of the Red Cross would care to follow" Miss Barton has undoubtedly gauged popu- lar opinion with accuracy. She is held in such high esteem by the whole coun- try that everybody would regret to see her involved in the petty bickerings of factions.
 
 meet with hearty response in dona- tions remains to be seen. Many people generously disposed toward the noble charity for which Miss Barton stands will hesitate, doubtless, until it is defin- itely known what the future policy of the organization is to be. But there can be no doubt that her letter will have the kind attention of the public. for the Red Cross, in the United States, is the creation of Clara Barton. It was main ly through her influence and persistent energy agitation that the government of the United States became a party to the Geneva treaty; she organized at the city of Washington in 1881 the first American Red Cross society; and she controlled its operations and directed its activity throughout long series of campaigns, beginning with the Michigan forest fires in 1881 and ending with the Galveston disaster in 1900. That the practical result of her administration and of Red Cross work in these years were beneficent there can be no reason able doubht. Large sums of money, contributed by the public. were useful ly expended; human suffering was ale viated on many widely separated fields; and thousands of persons were helped to get on their feet after they had been stricken down by catastrophes of nature or the operations of war.
 .l with regard to the administration of Red Cross affairs had its origin in what were alleged to be loose and unbusiness like methods in the matter of keeping accounts. The society, it was said, failed to make and publish properly audited statements of it's receipts and disbursements. As long ago as the be- ginning of the Spanish war, a number of business men in New York, who de- sired to cooperate in Red Cross work, offered to give the organization all the money they should contribute or col lect, if Miss Barton would allow them to send a representative to Cuba to supervise expenditures and audit ac- counts Miss Barton declined to ac- cept this proposition. and the business men organized what was afterward known as the New York Red Cross auxiliary. which controlled it's own ex- penditures and at the end of the cam- paign published a detailed statement of its receipts and disbursements. At that time and subsequently, it was suggested, in as delicate a manner as possible. that the best interests of the Red Cross would be promoted if Miss