Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-20
APPEAL BY LETTER
NOT AUTHORIZED BY
RED CROSS SOCIETY
Chain Letter Circulated in
Idaho in Behalf Of Hos
pital Stopped by Prompt
Action of Boise Woman.

A chain letter. supposedly in the In
terests of the Red Cross society. has
been generally circulated over the
asking them to Observation-Disclosures
northwest among prominent people.
asking them to enclose Is cents in
stamps and to mail six copies of tho
letter to friends, who would contribute
a similar amount.
One Of the circular letters reached
Mrs. Sam Ballantyne. secretary Of the
Boise Red Cross. who. knowing that
the organization did not favor that
method Of making collections. at once
communicated with the northwest
manager at Seattle, and found that
the circular letter was entirely I'M
authorized.
The chain letter received by q num-
Der Of prominent people in Boise, who
responded to the call for funds. reads
as follow:
TEXT OF LETTER.
IAN honorable appear to the Ameri-
can business men:
France helped us during the revo-
luton. Help her now. This is for the
purpose of founding a special Ameri-
can hospital in Paris for those wound
ed in the face and jaw. Your work
is needed Immediately in the task of
restoring mutilated faces and thereby
permitting the unfortunates to live out
their lives with as little disfigurment
as possible. The American Red Cross
will give $4,000 for every $4,000 raised
by the American National committee.
for which 100 beds will be established
and maintained.
please make six copies of this let
ter and send them to your friends.
numbering each one OF the six letters,
the number higher than the one used
at the top of this letter. Use the same
number for all the six copies.
Send this letter and 25 cents, pre-
ferably in stamps. to Mr.. l.. Harrite.
French consul, P. O. Box 1871, Seat
tie, Washington. This gentleman had
agreed to centralize the fund. This
chain letter will end with number 100.
Those receiving No. 100 should make
no copies, but merely send 20 cents.
Kindly do not break the chain: to
do so would work a great hardship on
lHlS CdubS
LETTER NOT SANCTIONED.
A portion of the letter from C. D.
Stinson of Seattle. manager of the
northwestern division of the Red Cross
received by Mrs. Ballantyne, reads as
follows:
This letter was never sanctioned by
the Red Cross, and the statement that
ha Da1 o;x,a
every $4,000 raised was made without
authority. We are convinced, however,
that this statement was due to a mis-
understanding and not made with in
tention to deceive. and that the appeal
was started in perfectly good faith.
1.-The French consulate at Seattle Is
sending a circular letter to all persons
making inquiry in regard to these
chain letters, which states in part as
follows:
II do not like the idea and would
have stopped those letters il there was
way of doing 1t. You will therefore
oblige me by paying no attention to
them.
1.-THE Red Cross never under any CIR
cumstances, lends its approval to chain
letters and If you should receive In
quiries in this regard. l trust you will
so inform Them
One of the Boise senders OF a let
ter to Seattle containing 25 cents in
stamps. today received his letter back
marked mot claimed" The enclosed
stamps were found as sent so 1t is
evident the French consul in Seattle
Ia endeavoring to do his part to head
OFF the unauthorized plan