New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
RED CROSS CONTROVERSY
4 GOOD WORK IN DANGER.
Arbitrary RuIe, Coupled 1rith Loose
Business Management.

-, more qsIiet but at the same time more
,-nfroue stage than that Of month two ago.
Memorials protests. public letters and suspension
=. members are not as numerous and conspicuous
: +sex were But the conviction Is steadily gain.
.-~ ground on all sides that unless there is rad
,-s, reformation Of the ways and OF that
,garization It viii lose public confidence and pub
"a support and its usefulness viii be destroyed.
-q,s- would be s deplorable thing. The Red Cross
=. rf.ferto enjoyed an exceptional OF
,1,,ls- favor. and its head, Miss Clara Barton.
=. been held IN afectionate esteem for her de-
.-ss Isbo-s in connection with it Yet such
,-s-f-71tioa Is superior TO can afford to ignore
,5e common laws OF accountability. compliance
s+b which IS essential 20 confidence To say this
a., -o+ 70 iupesch or in the least degree TO reflect
o, the integrity Of Miss Barton or OF any Of her
xocssres Il Is simply TO state general fact.
nt-r * recognized and acted upon by churches.
-r---7s and benevolent organizations without
-be- and 70 which no organization, however
tfvh1v esteemed. can properly claim 70 be an ex-
ceptioE.
.,sreruent of the Red Cross two in number
one has 10 do with the management OF its funds
-5 the other with its organization and govern
..-- Z is pointed out that the methods en-
-,.ve5 IN recefpting for and accounting for con
t-fnations and auditing the accounts OF the organ
,-.+s-r are loose and Inadequate IN the extreme
-.=s sent directly 70 the president may be used
= rat officer pleases. and need not be accounted
Co. ct a.. a large proportion OF contribution
e. che great majority OF theu1-are sent directly
= ne officers engaged in field OF emergency WORK
=. n provision whatever is made in the bylaws
g. ,,,5f-i7g the accounts Of those officers. Thus,
- The Galveston disaster Of September. 1900 the
ras Cross received E73z1- OF this sum $4Sl4 passed
-L-c-eb the hands OF the treasurer The re
-oef-5e- S2S57. went directly to a hnanclai
cent" appointed by the president IL the field
~-,- -re disposal Of this fund there was no check
me financial agent was under no obligation 70 &C
count for ft accounts were not 70 be audlted-
And when it was insisted upon that q special com
-,l++aa should investigate features OF ms ao-
t~,,s--s-57- II was declared behalf OF the
r-es.dert that officer OF member Of the organ
Iza-5or had 4 right audit or to inspect the &C
counts of the financial agent in the field, and that
Co. a-v one 70 assume 10 do so was most unbecoIa-
9nE-
--ie amazing contention seems the more amazing
l7sn T. s. remembered that the investigation which
--se thus resented was made necessary BY tne
-,s---,e-. Of vouchers upon the approval Of the
resident and financial agent. the latter appointed
- -ra rresi5ert both their apprOvals and sigma
-r-es being applied TO the vouchers with rubber
s-s-nps. and this in defiance Of the provision OF
-ha bylaws that every voucher must also ne @p-
--oved by the general secretary Il Is NOT 70 Dc
--5e-a= - hat the investigating committee re-
-o-red that = such practices were countenancel,
and = the contention above cited were sust@--l0u
.-= acted 1pon- the seIf-respect OF the Doaro ana
+ne public confidence n Red Cross would De IN
-af-gd When an organization uses puohc 1ullos
= = manner forbidden by its own bylaws anu
-essrts inspection Of its accounts as unoecohllHs,
,-s <zi+r IN the compIacency OF the PUBIC mus y
considerably larger than ralsl>Io So - - -.
cs-r,-rsrances Il Is not at al surprising Iaat . @
s gno go contributed for Galveston, only sIS44 vas
,rrr,,sted 70 Red Cross,
such was the Iooseness OF management o. Inc q
er.zatian from the business point OF FleN' o.l.5
-r-ae months after its present charter vas si6-'
- Congress Since then there has beel 10 Pc
,e7-fble reform In that respect, but similar pIac
-.ras nav Be assumed 10 continue seeing that tne
zs71-e- of Red Cross has rscsIl'-s -
.s-s after protesting against being asked 70 BlS
-.f---s fo- funds that had not come 10 us haloS
Meantime the second ground Of complaint mas oee
r-,frol1sIv developed. Not long ago p-'A-7S =
za-,~-e5 from many members Tor me p1IP0Se =
---s--e some slight changes IN the oyIsA"S-
-, .,--.-71 Vas rn1ls gained Of meeting OF FNeu
~-=z what vas practically a new and certain Ie' .
or,,-;o-a-v set OF bylaws was adopted "L11oIt
- 7rioe 70 the membership as Proprlety Sho-lu
80 dictated This new code IS probaDly lIe mos mo
--+-s-1- ever adopted by organization de-
re,5a-r roo1 public confidence and favor Ior us
,e-- existence. It provides that the pTesioei1 70 20
H. sA-red for life and shall NOT pc reI1-o'e-ul0 =
80 szva bv vote Of the executive con-ii--1'9e7
-I-f-+7 committee IS 10 be appointed py 'ie ii-
dentt .+ al the
T-e President moreover, IS 10 appoint al m
committees Of che organization arlo one .. = .
-. -,-=7-a committee agaiu-is 10 appoint 'le
hoard O. trustees Finally quite lgl2oIlns 'iiV
,7~-f5r- RE President is e-upoT ereo 10 aPFo1ii'
--eslsa-r nro ternpore who shall III the pressure
mace R-fth fun power during the IaIteI 90 = -
--ozr,scfry Practically. therefore l-e so-Ie-S -
= ~ -Es- cfice- absolutely all power 10 80
authority. The president Is 10 DC ''
Ear is this autoeracy merely & sgP4TeIe 44TseecaI All All
beer made particulars! ae---- a. - y are 70 be
read ott Of the organization MO -- 7-oT1ineut
s7S5a-sTs 4-as11c55 have already been sqsPenqgo 5I
ard threatened win peI l55 asking for re
pig for calling attention . l@cc e-sa-s1 and con
Eo-1s thus one member II q p +II+ Mss Barton
+--er-fsT -o-respOuuence- prOp9seC e-sT7e-oz
= made honorary president Tor ne Oh & +1-sci-
----S-- - nat some younger person o a. - Se-
"a business abilities, y Sieee- - -I7is was ad-
Fteec The second member, 70 ~.lo. r.. - ,-er This
latter lL-oL- : -er7stiye OF Miss
Fs-+rr vas turned over to The e1eelIlisee I've Cor7-iT
- --s-5-rfT declared sfhat il constituted an q
rz-k mon the president OF heo LIo9s' - - f-orn
therefore. roleo lo saS-S-q the preparation Of q
active IneTrhershlp Pe-ere rs intimate expulsion o.
- = 80 rrasident Of Red Cross TO pe IT, -tLg
uls.-5 - Ltl---e ard supreme but any critlclSIIl
s-,s-1...for IS 10 be accounted Ieze-Ina1esty ana
e - ~ -7,-ie7ed with expulsion. - -.
might y cited woulc BE- yeIs -llis srstit11-
s=.s - 80 indeed Of an international insIl{q- ~
ladies 5espite the gross misuse mace o. rlilN are
rss-reauts from Chie9go y ere Ig1 ToG1 reTerence
The woman Vrho has for 50 oHe . Is - fs rsnIxed
tine 7 Is deploraole % nas .1ioor,- vet that
ton brought into reproach aFlc ,{+ore ~
- i -eoea and DESTROYED yet there Is 10 zs e1s
agge-ation II saving ma I!tsC ~ nc MAJ be well
nearing but who arc utterly n.%2-i.eG - -, ad-
insstenoe upon loose 1lsiIes IN the govern
ruer- II Red Cross
DR.. coTTHEIL's FUNERAL TO-DAY
The funeral Of the Rev. Dr. Gustav Gottneii WIN