Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-09
RED CROSS YARNS-By Frederic j, Haskin

There are five or six of these tales, and they
are always whispered much alike that the Red
Cross officials know them all by heart. The other
day Washington man heard one of them, and feel
ing that he had uncovered something important,
he fastened to national headquarters to tell an
officer of the Red Cross. When he had gotten
about ten words out, the officer interrupted. Let
me tell you the rest of it" said the officer. And
he did.
Whoever evolved the stories, seems to have been
fascinated by the idea of sewing up cash in hid
den places Did your ever, Schehezerade said to
the sultan, hear the tale of the Red Cross packer
and the enchanted pajamas? The packer in ques-
ton was boxing lot of contributed pajamas for
a Red Cross hospital in France, when he felt some
thing hard in of the seams. He investigated,
and 10! it a $40 gold piece that some kind
soul had thus secreted for a wounded soldier.
What followed? Why, the word went abroad among
the packers, and since then they rip up all the
seams in all the pajamas before they pack them,
looking for more gold pisces, and hence 1t is no
use making pajamas for the Red Cross Whoever
conceived this tale may have been a German
agent, but he had literary ability
Another common tale is that American SOL
diers in France have to pay heavy import duties
on the things the Red Cross sends them. This
is such a gratuitous SANDER of friendly power
that 1t deserves to be nailed seriously and nailed
hard. France has suspended all import duties on
gifts to American soldiers, the duties on
tobacco and playing cards, both of which stffly
protected government monopolies and among the
principal sources Of the national revenue.
The Red Cross has never been able to trace q
single one of these stories to its origin. Though
there are only few of them, they crop up thou
sands of times; yet they always things that "a
friend of mine heard or someone know knows
woman who" and so forth.
Sometimes you will hear a more serious charge
brought forward to the effect that large part OF
the 500, 900 fund raised by popular sub
scription is being used to pay large salaries and
heavy administrative expenses. AS matter of fact,
practically all Of the principal officials at headquar
tiers and all the country we'll as abroad not
only work without salaries but bear all of their
own expenses and are large contributors to the Red
Cross besides
Now and again. too, someone raises the ques-
ton of the Red Cross and religion. There have
been charges, impossible to trace to their origin
to the effect that the organization favors or OBJ
poses certain creeds. The Red Cross Is absolutely
nOnsectarian. It's contributions come from all de-
nominations, and it inquiries into creeds when
help Is needed.
There is nothing wrong or unpatriotic about
criticising the Red Cross It ought to be as open
to criticism as any department of the government
1t is spending lot of public money, and public
criticism Is salutary influence for any institution
which does that. The Red Cross has been hastily
and enormously expanded. 1t doubtless makes mis-
takes, and 1t is anyone's duty American citi-
zen to point out mistakes and his privilege to de-
them fiercely as he will. But the stock
slanderous stories that have gotten afoat belong In
another class entirely.
They are malicious. mischievous and mysterious.
In so far as they hinder the work TO supply our SOL
diers with comforts, they almost reasonable
None of them has any foundation in fact Their
very triviaity seems to make absurd the idea that
they are started by agents of the enemy, but the
widespread and the absolute sameness of these riv
ial tales seems to make it certain that there IA
an organized movement to get them under way The
next time you hear one, try to find the person who
actually victimized. The Red Cross would like
to get at least one Of the accounts at first hand