The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-08
MISS BOARDhAN
ANSWERS CHARGES
AS TO RED CROSS
Membership Of Board of
Judges Kept Secret.
NO ATTACK ON MISS BARTON
Cites Declaration by Prominent New
Workers to Prove Criticisms Ema
nate From No Clique.

Mabel Boardman. one OF the more &C
tive workers of the American National
Red Cross who are now engaged in
putting its affairs upon "a business ba-
sis" today made public a statement
concerning the recent suspension of all
who oppose Miss Barton and her inner
council Of Ave.
Miss Boardman's statement follows
the notice OF suspension served recent
ly upon all who signed the memorial
to Congress. which inaugurated this
general discussion OF Red Cross mat
tiers. AS indicated in The Times of yes
terday the list OF persons thus sus-
pended include Gen. John ". Foster.
formerly Secretary of State; Brig. Gen.
John NJ Wilson. formerly Chief of En-
gineers. L s. A; Mrs Anna Roosevelt
CowIes, sister Of the President; Mrs
Sara Spencer, a lifelong friend of Miss
Barton; Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey. and
others.
Information to this effect was con-
tanned In a communication to The
| Times transmitted by Walter Z Phillips,
and designed for use in The Times as a
dispatch. Instead, il was printed with
proper credit to Dir. Phillips It's sub
stance was that the movement against
the present management Of the Red
Cross was not founded on just criticism
/ Of the society's methods: that it had not
! obtained the public support that it was,
in fact no criticism at all of methods
or policies, but an attack upon Miss Bar
| ton personally.
/ In answer TO this Miss Boardman cites
the declaration. previously printed in
/ The Times. by Bishop Henry c. Potter,
! Spencer Trask. Robert c. Ogden. CIeve-
land H. Dodge, Helen Fidelia Draper.
Howard Townsend, Elizabeth Mills Reid.
/ Samuel Woolverton, F. Augustus scher-
meFhorn, 4. s. Solomans. Gustav H.
/ Schwab. ana Oliver NJ. Cutting The
/ substance Of this declaration is that
/ these persons regard reorganization
| Of the American National Red Cross as
! necessary ''in order to meet the conf
| dence or the American public" and
they most heartily indorse the efforts
/ now being made by some OF the promi-
nent members OF the Red Cross in
/ Washington to thoroughly organize that
/ association and to provide for a careful
and businesslike administration of its
/ finances"
/ Quotations are offered from CORE
/ spcndence which passed between Miss
/ Boardman and Mr. Phillips to indicate
that the former was suspended from
membership in The Red Cross without
any hearing"
Membership Kept Secret.
| The remainder OF Miss Boardman's
statement follows;
In an interview had by Miss Board
man with Mr.. Walter P. Phillips in the
presence of and at the request of Mr.
Edward D. Easton. Miss Boardmau made
the very reasonable request: to wit that
she be furnished with list OF the mem
bers OF the Red Cross. that she might
know who were to be the judges on the
| final hearing OF her suspension. 10 which
Mr. Phillips replied, The list will not
be furnished you.
This refusal assumes il this instance
somewhat unusual Importance from the
| fact that under one OF the extraordinary
provisions OF the new bylaws, the exec
utive committee can disQuaIify. by sus-
pension any member from sitting as a
Judge and hence, in ordinary parlanee.
possesses the power to pack the court
Possibly later on the secret OF the
manifestation of so much venom against
individuals who. by their every act. have
shown only a desire to secure the adop-
ton of ordinary financial safeguards,
may be disclosed, Notwithstanding the
following threat made by Committeeman
Atwater in his article. to wit: And 1t Is
the purpose of the committee to go fur
Their and bring suits against the newspa-
been libeling the society and Miss Bar
rop