Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-12
RED CROSS YARNS
Nf FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

WASHINGTON. November 11--Whu
is telling tales about the Red Cross?
Wn" ~ responsible for starting tho
halt. dozen stock fables unout NIL over
Tue country. whose sole object Ia 10
convey some damaging lnslnuation
ABOUT the Red Cross organization? Is
nc pro-German, a pacitist, or :, ma.
ticious practical joker? or are tho
stories started by hidden but cX-
tcnsivc organization OF some sort?
Nobody knows. The storics arc i'm cir.
cuiattoh though, and they present "a
curious problem.
There Is no truth In any of them.
Ihey arc all designed to hamper and
bring into ,disreputc the Red Cross
knitting campaign. which Is Il move
ment deserving all Tho support any
american can give it. a knitting cam
paiEn Is rather Il curious object for
amy hostile power to select as the OBJ
!ect OF undcrhand attack. The stories
themselves are equally curious, In their
ninSlinR OF able and artistic lying
with absurd details that stamp them
instantly AS pot only false. but i'm
possible. to one who has any knowI-
edge Of the Rcd Cross work.
A Typical Ynrn.
y typical tale, and ono of the most
widely circulated. might bc entitled
y Pair of Socks for Sammy. or How
tue lumberman Got Stung' According
Knitted beautiful pair of socks for
II soldier. and intrusted them TO the
ked Cross for delivery to any lad In
khaki. Moreover. the young woman,
oeins OF romantic temperament rs
put note with her name and address
IN the toe of one OF the socks 4 few
weeks later she always gets an an
swering note from a man in Il lumber
camp. The answer assures hcr that
inc socks are fine job and the lumber
col.
saying, They are the best socks I
ever bought for $3.50 In my life"
From this talo an Intelligent public
10 supposed TO dcducc that the Red
cross Is taking the socks young women
KNIT Tor soldiers and selling them for
Ss."o a pair. The most striking fact
about the yarn, and all its brethren.
Is that II crops up in exactly the same
FORM In every section Of the country.
Ihc national headquarters of the Red
cross have received literally thousands
OF letters. each reporting that this tale
!" ABROAD east and west. north and
south, with hardly a detail changed
inc ZIMMERMAN who was mulcted Of
ss.oV sometimes works in Maine some
''mcS he works in Louisiana or Michi-
gan or Colorado or Washington But
inc rest OF the tale doesn't vary. This
IN itself is enough TO throw II out OF
court with those who can weigh cvi-
70 the thousands OF identical kilograms
that hooded Congress when the uucs-
ton OF declaring war was pending.
but VIII" started ii?
story Won't Hold Water,
Another tale is that OF the devoted
mother who Knitted Il sweater for her
soldier hoy. She gave il to II Red Cross
chaptcr to forward. but her boy never
got IL. She went To tho chaptcr again
10 report, and the woman in charge
toid hef the sweater had been sent.
hut tie keen-cycd mother In question
noticed that the woman was wearing
sweater herself 4 second glance
ana she recognized the sweater as the
ono she had made for her son THAT
Is my sons sweater" she accuses .and
to prove II to you. I will show You tho
~ bill that I scwed in the collar"
which she triumphantIy does
Ihere are several holes I'm this tale
INC largest one Is tho fact that no Red
cross sweater has a collar. They
aren't made that way. Another Is. that
TIC policy OF the Rcd Cross is not 70
accept gifts for individual soldiers. but
to reserve the right to give them where
tney VIII do the most good ANY one
VINO wants TO send a present or any
thinE else to particular soldier has