The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-06
Red Cross Headquarters Send Out
Explanation Of Notice on Or
ganization Of Base
Hospitals.
NOT UNDER CONTROL
Red Gross Has Nothing to do With
Making Of Ruling and Hopes
to. Have It
Changed.

A news bulletin from Red Cross
headquarters says:
On June 20, Colonel Kean, director
general of the department Of military
relief of the American Red Cross,
forwarded to the directors OF all Red
Cross base~hospitals a copy OF let
ter received from the state depart
ment to the effect that hospital units
intended for service abroad should
not include persons Of German, Aus
tro-Hungarian, Bulgarian or Turkish
nationality or birth, or American citi-
zens whose fathers were born In Ger
many, Austro-Hungary or allied coun-
tries. Consular officers Of France,
Great Britain and other allied coun-
tries, so the state department advised
the Red Cross, are not permitted to
wise passports for persons OF any or
the classes mentioned.
A considerable number of the base
hospitals recruited in different Amer
lean cities contained persons within
the categories referred to. Numer-
GUS questions have accordingly
arisen, some of them very embarrass-
ing to the Red Cross, as to whether
there should be an arbitrary exclu-
sion of loyal Americans who, have
enlisted in the base hospitals, but
who come within those classes.
Mr.. Henry P. Dawson, chairman
of the Red Cross war council. today
had conference with Secretary OF
State Lansing, primarily to urge the
Importance of obtaining from the al
lied governments a modification Of
their ruling. Mr.. Dawson authorized
this statement:
Ruling Embarrasses.
"The notification to the base hos"
pitfalls was not matter over which
the Red Cross had any control. The
Red Cross merely transmitted an off,
cial communication of which they
were required to take cognizance. In
view, however, of the earnest and
whole-hearted way in which SO many
Americans have volunteered their
services in manning these base hos
pital units, this ruling of the allied
nations Is peculiarly embarrassing to
the work of our Red Cross. The Red
Cross has, of course, never question
ed the loyalty of any American citi-
zen, no matter what his place OF
birth, Offering to make the sacrifice
which any such volunteer service en-
tails.
ut is not difficult to appreciate
the attitude of the allied govern
ments, responsive as they are to the
sentiment Of their peoples. Such a
ruling might perhaps be applied in a
country containing only relatively
small number of citizens of alien
IL - ipvo ri-
able rule with reference to workers
from such people as our own, must
inevitably result in unfair discrimi-
nation against some Of our most
patriotic and respected citizens.
Not Against Troops.
"Obviously, no such ruling can be
applied against our troops who will
soon be fighting side by side with
the allies In France, and 1 am conf
dent that when the situation is fully
understood, exemption will be made
in favor Of those loyal American citi-
gems who are sent to participate in
the humanitarian work our Red Cross
is undertaking.
at may be that by some chance a
disloyal man or woman may enlist,
but I had rather take that chance
than to take the chance of having
any Of our people dispirited and dis
heartened when they are really try
ing to help.
II am sure that It is not the pur
pose of the allied nations to discrimi-
nate against any loyal American citt-
zen. But it is of vital importance
that the matter be SO arranged not
only that no discrimination shall be
intended, but that there shall be no
appearance of discrimination"