The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-28
PUBLIC LETTER
 HAS BEEN ISSUED
Suspended Red Cross Members
 Explain Legal Status.
EXTENT OF THE DEFENSE
Assertion Made That Committee Acted Under Bylaws Which Were illegally Adopted--The National Red Cross
 Society Trouble Is Aired.

Washington, April N.-The twenty-three suspended members of the National Red Cross society have issued to the public statement showing the legal status as they view 1t, of the executive committee of the society, which suspended them In addition, the meeting appointed q spe- cial committee consisting of Simon Wolf 1 Hilary A. Herbert, formerly secretary of the navy, Miss Mabel T. Boardman, Mrs. J. Ellen Foster and B. H. Warner to col- feet all the facts at their command to show the abuses that have been prac- ticed by the old management, and the un- busness-like manner in which the finances have been collected and disbursed."
 Another statement, embodying the re- suits of this special committee work, will be made public later.
 Today's statements begin with an- nouncing that the following letter has been sent to MT. Walter P. Phillips:
 MT. Walter F. Phillips.
 "Sir-The undersigned members of the National Red Cross society in answer to your notification of their suspension deny your legal power or authority to suspend them. Yours respectfully"
 This letter. as we'll as the general pub lie statement which is elaborate, is signed by the twenty-three suspended members as follows
 Signers of the Letter.
 John M. Wilson, Mabel T. Boardman, Mrs. J. Ellen Foster, Mrs Sarah A. Spen- cer, Bessie J. Kibbey, A. c. Hoffman, simon Wolf, B. H. Warner. N. T. Tanner, Mrs. Henrietta M. Rose, Thomas r. Walsh, Amy L. Wolf Betty Harrison, William H. Mitchell, Annie R. Cowles, Ellen Spencer Mussey, Elizabeth T. Pierce, Mary E. Hague F. M. Ramsey, w. K. VanReipen, John w. Foster, II. A. Herbert and Harriet Blaine Beale.
 The suspended members deny the au- thority of MT. Phillips committee to act, and say that the committee Is proceed ing under bylaws illegally adopted and that the new bylaws violate the pur- pose aud Intent of the charter granted by congress iD that they constitute d sys- tenn which invades the chartered rights, if 1t does not practically disfranchise all the members of the association. except the few whom the President may appoint on committees, and as one person may serve on several committees 1t is in the power of the President to commit all the corporation into the hands of less than one-tenth of the membership"
 After the comments on new bylaws the statement continues:
 These bylaws begin by assert ing the power of the executive commit tee to remove the home of the American Red Cross society from the District of Columbia, in which congress declared 1t should be, ended by vesting effectively in one person all these powers which con gross intended should be exercised by the corporators 1t had named and their sue cessors: with an added provision that rendered them practically irrepealable Such a system we submit would not meet the approval of the American people, even if these bylaws had been regularly adopted after debate But secondly these new bylaws" were not. we insist, fairly or legally adopted.
 Extent of the offense.
 ''rhe extent of our offense is, and the new bylaws seem to have been designed to punish this offense at present and pre- vent It's repetition in the future. that we ventured to criticise the business meth ods of the society. and to insist that these methods should be improved and there should be a more complete account ability. so that the philanthropists who give the raise moneys for charitable pur- poses, should have more implicit faith In the efficiency of our organization"
 The members deny the charge that in their efforts to effect reorganization of the society along business-like lines. they are attacking Miss Barton.
 It is asserted that new bylaws" were rushed through without opportunity for explanation, and the statement concludes:
 We therefore insist that we were not acting against, but for the best interests of the Red Cross society when we stated to congress, which gave us our charter, how that charter had been used. Unless present methods are abandoned the so- ciety cannot retain public confidence, which is essential to It's success. For making such a protest to congress. and for that alone. twenty-three of us have been suspended by committee of which three, and on one occasion two. may con- stitute quorum"