New-York tribune., 1903-01-30
TROUBLE IN THE RED CROSS.
President and Cabinet Refuse to Serve as
Board of Consultation.

yKras,inuton Ian 2a-GeneraI John NJ. Wilson
jce-president of the National Red Cross. presented
TO Congress to-day memorial regarding that or
rsnzation especially with reference to certain dlf
ferences which have arisen in regard TO the man
agement of fits affairs Included in the papers
submitted with the memorial is letter from Secre
tary Cortelyou addressed to Miss cara Barton
president of the Red Cross, in which MI Cortelsou
saws that in accordance with a copy or the pyla"s
submitted by the association the President and ms
Cabinet are constituted board of consultation OIL
the American Red Cross Mr.. Cortelyou says II Is
impossible for the President and Cabinet 10 serve
in such capacity. and asks that pubic announce
ment be made of that fact
Complaint is made in memorial sent TO Presl
dent Roosevelt of the manner in winch the or
ganizaton is placed in the hands of one person
and Of the management Of the finances of the as
sociation. These matters are referred 10 IN the
letter of MIR. Cortelyou.
A letter in the memorial gives account of the
manner in which the bylaws were adopted
1t SAYS that through Francis Atwater, Miss Clara
Barton. president Of the organization, secured
large number of proxies for the meeting, on the
representation that she desired to secure some
slight changes in the bylaws of the Red cross.
and then at the meeting presented an entirely new
set of bylaws which, other things. per-
itted the president of the organization TO be elect
ed for life. gave the president power TO appoint
president pro tenn in case of sickness or ABSENCE
with full power; created executive committee,
consisting of the president and four members, the
latter to be appointed by the pFesident-elect Mr.
Foster. the meeting, protested against the adop-
ton of the bylaws. which had not been printed,
tl they adopted, 135 to SO. seventytwo OF the
votes being cast by proxies.
The letter of Secretary Cortclyou follows:
White House Washington January 2 1903
Dear Madam: Certain members of the tted cross
including ex-Secretary of State John w roster
Brigadier General John NJ. Wilson lretTed),
Thomas T. Walsh. Simon Wolf. Mrs: j Ellen fos,
fer Miss Boardman and various other lanes ana
gentlemen high standing. have sent the PTesl-
dent a letter of which copy is herewith sent to
you, and ACCOMPANYING it Is a copy OF "haL Pui Pti
ports to be the bylaws recently ADOPTED p5 LIe
American Red Cross. In further letter the
President has been informed that the treasurer
on account Of dissatisfaction with what Is anegeo
ment for securing the needed accounting.
liability for and supervision of the disbursements
of the money furnished in time of exigency TO the
Red Cross by the charitable public IL appears
from these bylaws that the President OF the United
States and his Cabinet are constituted a poard OF
consultation of the American Red Cross 1t is not
possibIe for the President any member OF his
Cabinet on such committee, ana 'ne
President directs TO request you TO nave ~
publicly announced that the President ana the
Cabinet cannot so serve. Very try yours;
GEORGE r. CORTELYOU,
Secretary the President.
To Miss Clara Barton. president OF the American
National Red Cross
The memorial TO the President concludes as fol-
lows:
The above cited provisions of the bylaws. we
eIsim prove that the policy of this organization and
the administration of its finances placed within
the arbitrary power of single person
Legislation is asked to relieve the condition.