The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-31

The opponents of the ''easy money
theory have not been slow to capital
lie for their personal profit the pa
triotc sentiment Of their country
The trail Of their ventures, ostensibly
designed to raise money by promot
ing "bazaars" and benefits" by house
ato-house canvasses and street collec
ton funds for alleged worthy pur
poses, Is to be found In all the cities
and larger towns throughout the
-nation, writes Louis Seibold In the
New York World.
Millions have been diverted from
the intellfgently organized and eff
GENTLY managed agencies operating
under government auspices to pro-
vide comforts for the men who are
actually fighting their battles. Rec
: ognized institutions like the Red Cross,
the Y. M. G. A. and various worthy
religious and patriotic organizations
have been deprived Of money that
they could use will much greater
advantage to the soldiers and sailors
of the country than if given to volun-
: teer ventures conducted under hap
hazard circumstances.
EIlIIc ESIC TOT OON1IOFISs
Publication of the balance sheets
of recent bazaar show the cost Of
a ten-days' event which was de-
signed to provide comforts for boys
at the 'front.' exceeded $4,000. The
anet profits available for providing
comforts was less than $500 after the
Expenses of the enterprise had been
bald. The annual report of a league"
Vto furnish comforts" for the seafight-
ers of the country shows that out Of
100000 raised for the purpose only
a little more than $500 ever found it's
way into comforts" for anybody.
But great as has been the abuse of
the confidence of patriotic citizens
from movements which are organized
on an ostensible public basis, even
more damaging are the fagrantly
( fraudulent schemes of persons who re-
l sort to house-to-house canyasses and
ystreet collections to line their own
y pockets. ..l..- $3.50.
The attention of the police of near
w every large city in the country, and
. particularly New York, has been cen
tered on the operations of criminals of
this type who have obtained through
misrepresentation vast sums in the ag-
gregate from gullible people who be-
ueved they were giving money to
worthy causes designed to make life
easier for the men who are exposing
their lives to their country's enemies.
? It Is difficult, of course, to present
any intelligent estimate Of the gross
amount of money raised by volunteer
collectors Of these various 'sfunds,"
but it undoubtedly mounts away up
into the millions.
There have been frequent, instances
of men and women utterly lacking
sense of honor and decency auda-
,ciously and fraudulently soliciting
funds in the name of the Red Cross.
One such case recently came to light
on the upper West side of New York.
A Woman SwindIer's Methods.
A well-dressed woman around whose |
arm was a white band on which was |
stamped a faint red cross, visited sew
eral apartment houses. She carried a
pasteboard box with a slot and deco
rated with a big red cross. When adj
61itted she inquired breezily:
u Anything for the Red Cross to-
day?"
When questioned by some of her in
tended victims as to the specific pur
pose Of the collection she said: "Oh,
this is for a special purpose"
The police say that persons falsely
representing themselves as agents of
the Red Cross or other recognized or
Plantations should be Immediately
turned over to the first officer.
Inquiry of the Red Cross authori-
ties reveals the fact that it does not
employ agents of this sort and that
its appeals for funds are publicly
made, and subscriptions should be sent
to headquarters.
That which is true of the Red Cross
applies to the Y. M. G. A. and a few
other worthy causes, including public
funds started by newspapers for the
purchase of tobacco, donations to
which are acknowledged In the news
columns.
Great Britain and every other bel
ligerent country was confronted by
the same conditions and problems in
the early stages Of the war. So great
was the abuse of the public confidence
BY the ''easy-money men, of England
that the government and newspapers y
opened war on them, with the result
that many were sent to prison, and the :,
patriotic charities regulated and or =
ganized on business basis under gov =.
supervision. :. =,
Frauds in London Exposed. =
In December, 1915, the London Daily D
Nail began a crusade against the vol z
1nteer war charities of an indiscr1m- \,
nate character. 1t exposed the ex- ~
,rbitant profits raked In by persons :,
Who preyed on the public through ap- 10