Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-28
RED CROSS SOCIETY
GRAND OLD INSTITUTION TO BE
REoRGANIZED AND CHAR
TERED BY GOVERNMENT.
Under Administration Of Mrs. John A..
Logan and Thorough Reorganization
1t Is Hoped That Famous and World
Wide Institution Will Win Favor.

Now that few days have elapsed
since the troubles of the American
Red Cross society have eliminated in
the resignation Of Miss Clara Barton
as president of the organization which
she founded many years ago and the
installation as president In her place
of Mrs. John A. Logan, a thorough and
complete reorganization Is to be at
tempted, which it is hoped will greatly
strengthen that grand and most Won
derful institution. AS many as posi-
Bile of the faults Of the past are to- be
remedied and the organization to
kfry,gqiNql again the government en-
.sss'aeel. il. xhiGh for sane time has
been withheld. The expelled members
are to be reinstated and the Red Cross
work in the future will be carried out
in a systematic and thoroughly bust
ness like manner.
Congressional Investigation.
Although much has been printed
about the unfortunate controversy
which finally resulted In COMPRESSION
al investigation, the public knows lit
tie of the details. In a general way
it Is understood that for several years
there has been q tendency toward
looseness in business methods and a
concentration of authority in the hands
of a few persons. Since the Galveston
flood there has been criticism of the
methods by which the funds raised for
the relief of the sufferers were handled.
Members of the Organization suggest
ed that a detailed account be made,
but the officers did not take kindly to
the suggestion Unfortunately Miss
Barton, as the founder of the organ.
ization, appeared to believe that 1t was
a private rather than public institu.
ton and should be handled accord
ing to her own ideas. The outcome ol
the protest was the expulsion Of g
number of prominent members and ar
amendment Of the constitution making
Miss Barton president for life and Civ
ing her complete control over the fl
nancss of the society All questions O.
policy were placed in the hands of {
board of control consisting Of four O.
1--WE members.
incapacitated by Age.
In consequence of this GENERALIZATION
of authority the Red Cross suffered il
public esteem. Nobody questioned
Miss Barton's honesty, but there wal
serious question of her ability to dis
charge the responsibilities placed up
on her shoulders. She was n year,
old, and neither her Judgment nor hel
capacity for active work could be re
lied upon. Indeed the understanding
was that for several years Miss Bar
ton had been leaning upon assistant!
whose advice was not Of the soundest
and whose executive ability was no
equal to the demands made upon i
by such large and busy organization
When President Roosevelt last yea
withdrew his name as an indorser o
the Red Cross society there was gen
eral recognition that reorganization
must be effected if the utility of tn
Red Cross was to be maintained. Mis-!
Barton and her little cabinet hav,
been bit slow in coming to the sam,
conclusion.
The New Red Cross.
The new Red Cross will be wha
the society should have been from tn
first. an institution backed by the go,
ernment A charter is to be issue
by congress and provision made 70
branches in the various states. TIL
business management is to be place
in the hands Of board of control con
prising eighteen members, six {
whom are to be appointed by the pre-
ident. six elected by the organizatio
at large and six elected by the stat
branches. The accounts of the societ
are to be audited by the auditor {
the war department and annual r
ports made to congress. There will
no further ground for criticism Of th
Red Cross for lack OF business met
DDS.
1t is to be hoped Miss Barton wi
not feel unduly Inundated because Ii