Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-31
ANSWER TO CHARGES
Red Cross Replies to the Re-
monStrantS.
GENERAL DENIAL MADE
REVIEW OF THE WORK OF MISS
BARTON.
1t is Declared That Suspended Mem
beers Fail to Indicate the Re-
lief Wanted.


Red Cross seem to have reached the final
stage. Yesterday the attorneys of the So
ciety. Messrs Thomas s. Hopkins. Joseph
Sheldon and L. A. Stebbins, made public the
case of the national organization, in the
form of reply to the charges made by the
recalcitrant or seeding members. The re-
ply was filed late yesterday afternoon with
Senator Redfield Proctor of Vermont chair
man of the committee appointed to investi-
gate the difficulty and report thereon. The
other members of the committee are Rep
resentative William Alden Smith of Michi-
gan and Brigadier General Fred C. Aims
worth. L. S. A, representing the army. The
recalcitrants or seceeders include General
John M. Wilson. L. S. A, RETIRED Mrs. ].
Ellen Foster. b. II. Warner Simon Wolf,
General John W. Foster. Hilary A. Herbert,
Thomas F. Walsh, Admiral w. X. Van Rey-
pen. L. S. N. retired: Miss Mabel T. Board
man, Mrs. Anna Roosevelt Cowles Mrs.
Ellen Spencer Mussey, Mrs. Harriet Blaine
Beall and others.
The troubles of the society date back
almost year. and arose through the re
fusal of number of the members
to accept the statements of the finan-
cial secretary or treasurer as COM
plete or as setting forth fully the method
of disbursing the funds intrusted to the So
ciety. They were suspended from member
Sihp anu ticl Ifldue u protest against their
suspension and demonstrated with the exist
ing business methods. They stated in their
letter OF protest that: THE sole purpose of
these remonstrants has been to secure the
financial accounting and assure the fidu-
ciary responsibility aud sensibiity, which
alone can regain to the American Red Cross
the confidence now withdrawn from it,"
At the last annual meeting of the Red
Cross In this city the committee of threa
was appointed to investigate the disagree
ment and report as to the truth of the
charges. This committee Is engaged in its
work and IT is the answer of the Red
cross to the charges made against 1t which
was presented yesterday afternoon.
Substance of Reply.
The reply, in brief, follows:
This respondent in reply to the call of
the remonstrants for the books, ac-
counts. records and minutes of the
association. says that it is ready and
willing to produce any and all books ac-
counts. records and minutes and all vouch-
ers and other papers pertaining to its af-
fairs at any time and place indicated by
the committee, but would respectfully pc
ution your honorable committee to indicate
AT the earliest possible date what books
accounts records, minutes, vouchers or
other papers are, in the judgment of the
committee, within the scope of the inquiry
and necessary to full disclosure of the
truth concerning material controverted
matter. But this respondent specifically
denies that any such books. accounts, rec
ords, or minutes have been called for by
your honorable committee or are or have
been demanded by this inquiry, as charged
in the remonstrance."
~ Mississippi Valley Floods.
With regard to the floods in the Missis-
sippi valley and the relief afforded the
respondents state:
80 - Shortly after the accession to
the treaty Geneva treaty of 1882 by the
United States an appeal. headed by the
president of the American Association of
the Red Cross. was issued to the American
people involving contributions for the relief
of the suffering caused by the floods in the
Mississippi valley; and this respondent
AYERS that in response to this appeal money
and material were received for disburse-
ment In the Mississippi valley.
And this respondent AYERS that off,
cial receipt was sent to each person making
such contribution acknowledging the same.
This respondent does not controvert that
there were devastating floods in the Mssis-
sippi and Ohio rivers In the years 1882 1888
and 1854. and that the sentence quoted from
the Red Cross history concerning such
floods does occur in such history. and the
respondent AYERS that money and material
TO the estimated value of $175,O00 were re-
ceived and distributed by the Red Cross for
the sufferers by such floods. A large part
of said money and material were received
through the associate societies of st. Louis
and Chicago. working with us. which So
cieties kept their own accounts of such
money and material.
Regarded as Impossibility.
"It Is further true that very small part.
II any. of the money and material received
for the relief of the Mississippi and Ohio
river flood sufferers passed through the
hands of the treasurer: but this respondent
AYERS that, under the circumstances then
existing. and by reason of the manner in
which such contributions were sent, 1t was
entirely impossible to have such money aid
material pass through the hands of the
treasurer and render effective and i'm
mediate relief to such sufferers; that the
treasurer resided and maintained his Office
as treasurer in the city of Washington;
that practically all of the money and ma
terial sent for the use of the Red Cross was
sent direct to the field, and usually to the
president"
In connection with the general charge
the methods employed in the Mississippi
valley floods were also used in disbursing
funds in distributing relief in other disas-
tiers. the respondents make reply in detail
Following are the more important matters
touched upon in this connection:
Texas Drought, 1887.
THE first work done by this society after
the Mississippi and Ohio river floods was
I'm relieving the sufferers in the Texas
drouth in 1897. 1t was found that I'm the
opinion of the association 1t was neither
wise nor desirable to undertake to raise
funds collect material from outside the
state of Texas to assist her sufferers, and
1t was deemed wise not to undertake to
collect funds material to pass through
the hands of the Red Cross. but rather to
confine it's labors to instructing the people
of Texas how to organize themselves for
relief work Largely, as IL Is believed,
through the efforts of the president of this
association an appropriation was made by