The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-12-29

peals for funds to carry on ostensible
patriotic ventures.
The Mail asserted that enough
money was collected In this way to
pay the actual cost of the war for a
week. And Great Britain was then
spending $25,OOO,O00 for war purposes
every day.
The same evils recently exposed in
this country were brought to light
in Great Britain. Most of the reve-
nues of "bazaars' and benefits" were
eaten up by Expenses" for press
agents, advertising solicitors and pro-
motions.
The extent to which the indiscrim-
mate war grafters imposed on the
British public before the government
stepped In to put a stop to their &C
tivities was described by James M.
Touhy, London correspondent of the
World, In a dispatch printed in 1916.
Mr.. Touhy said:
"One woman was arrested who
turned out to be the wife of a soldier
making an allowance Of Sc a week,
this in addition to the 81 a week
which her husband gave her from his
pay. She was begging for a Belgian
fund which did not exist. A we'll
known woman Of society whose sue
cess in organizing entertainments for
charity has produced many thou
sands Of dollars has, it is said, paid
herself, under the item Of expenses,
at the rate which the big theater
managers Of the West end receive.
Scotland Yard blames the most
prominent people who allow their
names to be put upon committees for
war charities without investigating
the reliability Of those who collect the
funds.
"Early in April the citizens of Glas-
cow denounced the prince Of Wales
fund, to which Scotland had contrib
uted generously without being able
to obtain a penny to pay rents for
the families Of soldiers at the front.
Stopped by Scotland Yard.
"The French relief fund and the
Belgian soldiers fund occupy the most
conspicuous places just now in the
public investigation Of charity money
scandals. In France the minister Of
the interior is responsible for the col.
lection and distribution of all such
funds, and the committee, self-appoint-
ed in London, to collect money for the
French relief fund, had no difficulty in
securing the patronage Of President
Poincare and different members of the
French cabinet.
cit was then an easy matter to get
the patronage of members of the Brit
ish cabinet, and this fund was largely
advertised as being under the spon-
sorship Of Sir John Simon, the home
secretary, and Winston Churchill, be-
fore the latter's withdrawal from the
government. Mr.. Asquith, the prime
minister also allowed his name to be
used in connection with the fund.
"When no balance sheet was pub
lished after nearly a year Of activity
in gathering in the shillings, and when,
moreover, the London committee be-
gan seeking government aid to pre-
vent the duchess of Somerset from
having a French Flag day July z in
London for the benefit of the French
Red Cross, an investigation was be-
gun which seems to have finally been
taken in hand by Scotland Yard.
"Sir John Simon, Churchill, Lloyd
George and others withdrew from the
sponsorship of the fund. The secre-
tary of the fund then tried to place
before the public a statement of the
condition Of the fund, which amounted
to $23O,OOO, and $5OO,OOO was wanted.
The London papers refused to print
the advertisement. 1t was said the
newspapers had been told by Scotland
Yard not to allow the affairs of the
French relief fund to figure In their
columns"
Paris had very much the same ex-
perience as the British metropolis with
war grafters. Out of lat war char-
ties organized in the French capital
in 1915, rs were found to be the most
barefaced swindles by the police, ac-
cOrding to the Matin, which inaugu-
rated a crusade against the evil. In