Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-06
NATIONAL RED CROSS
First Annual Meeting Held
and Officers Elected.
REPORTS RECEIVED
STATEMENT By GEN. VAN REY-
PEN FOR CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
President Roosevelt Elected an Hon
orary Member-Four Hundred Mem
bers in District of Columbia.

Hubbard Memorial Hall at 1880 Yesterday
afternoon, Secretary Taft. president of the
BOARD or incorporators, presiding. The au-
olence chamber was practically filled with
distinguished people-members of the
CABINET, senator's and representatives and
members OF the judiciary. The business
was largely routine, there being no set pro-
gram. and included the election of officers
for the ensuing year, which also seemed
to be routine as there was practically no
change in the old list. One of the most in
teresting features of the afternoon was the
short talk given by Col. Van Rensselaer,
Honi assistant surgeon general of the
army, who was the representative of the
war Department in Manchuria during the
Russian-Japanese war. He confined his re-
marks entirely to the operations of the Red
Cross Society of Russia during that strue-
gle, to which he paid high tribute
The report of Surgeon General Van Rey-
pen, chairman of the central committee
which Is the governing board of the society,"
was presented Immediately after President
lau look his seat, and was, in part as
follows:
BY virtue of the act approved January 5,
iooa the American National Red Cross was
incorporated, succeeding to all the rights
ana property which had been hitherto held
and to all the duties which had been here
Iofore performed by the American National
lieu Truss as a corporation duly incOrDOr-
ated by act of Congress June 6. 1900. which
act was repealed and the organization Gre
ated thereby dissolved.
Branch Societies.
Branch societies have already been
formed in the District of Columbia the
fhiiipplne Islands and the following named
states: Maryland, California. New York
hnode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
ONO, Illinois, NJ ehigan, Indiana Delaware,
maine, Georgia, Wyoming, South Carolina,
anu branches are now being formed in
Missouri, Vermont and Minnesota
The central committee is receiving fire.
quent reports of accession to members hin
In the various branches, and it is not able
at present 10 give an accurate statement
as to the total mem bership
The present corporal ton received from
the old corporation, which ceased to exist
by virtue OF the act approved January 5, a
quantity OF miscellaneous literature and
incomplete records. which have been OF
very little value; also a few articles of fur
nlture The treasurer received the sum of
S2Sl.S9, and a notice of Indebtedness of
200 contracted to pay a claim of Francis
old corporation. This Indebtedness has
since been paid from the proceeds of the
sale of lots IA, Is, 10 and IT, block %.
kaIorama Heights These lots were the
property of the American National Red
cross, and were sold on January IL, 1904,
by the then president of the American Ma
tlonai Red Cross to Cogan Bros. & Forsch-
ner for the sum of SIG 800 Monthly nav
ments for the purchase money were to be
made, according to the quantity of stone
removed from the property. with mini
mum monthly payment of $500. Five thou
sand and seventy-five dollars had been
paid before transfer to the present corpora
ton. Three thousand eight hundred and
twelve dollars has since been paid leaving
a balance due of ST613O0.
No Outstanding Debts.
THE trusteeship of the property that was
formerly held by Charles A Baker and s.
w. Briggs has been transferred and is
now held by Charles H Keep and Louis A.
Pradt. The corporation has now no out
standing debts, but a suit has been brought
against it by Hugh Ross in the superior
court of Santa Barbara, Cal, for the sum
of $3.50 for alleged services rendered and
material supplied the old corporation at
Manila in 1900. The suit is being defended
by the counselor of the corporation
In response to request for aid from the
Philippine branch of the Red Cross for the
sufferers from typhoon a contribution of
$500 was made by cable transfer from the
emergency fund of the corporation
"A request was made by the Philippine
branch for $1,000, and it is earnestly re-
quested that the remaining $500 may as
soon as practicable be contributed by the
branch societies and sent to the national
treasurer that the whole amount asked
for may be forwarded
Reports From States
|. Judge Morrow, who represented Mrs. Nor
row, the delegate from California, reported
that the golden state was pretty well or.
ganiZed, though the interest was not as
vigorous as during the Spanish-American
war. AT that time he said the membership
was II 600. They raised $50, MO to pro-
vide food, clothing and equipment for the
soldiers of the Spanish-American war, and
did splendid service society, he de-
clared, but after the war closed enthusiasm
died down, and the membership had dropped
in his state to 119, but these, he said. were
doing good work, and he believed that when
the emergency arose the state would again
swell the ranks of the Red Cross Judge
Morrow felt that the constitution was not
quite broad enough for state of the d.
| mension of California, nearly 800 miles wide
and only a hundred or so less than a thou
sand miles long. He thought there should
be strong local societies, with the state or
ganization comprised of life members He
thought that the present effort of the So
cety tended rather to building from the
| top down, than from the bottom up which
last, in his opinion, always tended to make
stronger structure
Secretary Taft Interrupted Judge Morrow
| and suggested that the speaker did not read
the constitution correctly. That the -peo-
pie could form local societies exactly as
| the Judge suggested, but the California DEL
| egate insisted that this could not be done
| under the existing corporation act. This
matter was discussed for some time by
various delegates many declaring that in
| their particular states they had organized
/ local societies first. The delegates, by a
direct VOTE decided to refer this mooted
point to the central committee. Connecticut
reported strong organization OF 5000 mem
bers; which was the largest reported to the
| society. Delaware reported a membership
| of 127.
District Membership.
The District of Columbia reported mem
| bership of 400. with SO life members, and
| an organization of IS trained nurses
Georgia, organized the LIST of November
reported 100 members. Illinois reported 100
| members in the states organization. In
| diana reported GA members; Maryland, $780,
Ohio, $50 members, Sc trained nurses and
| staff OF s physicians; Rhode Island reported
| IS life members and 90 annual, and South
Carolina 40 members.
| few changes lwere made in the consti-
| tuition, simply making the president of the
| board of tncorporaiors" president of the
| National Society" and changes of titles to
| agree with this change.
President an Honorary Member.
| President Roosevelt by unanimous vote
was made an honorary member OF the ma
| tional society. By unanimous vote the