New Britain herald., 1917-07-05
RED GROSS NOT TO
 ASSUME ALL WORK
Other Organizations Will Retain
 Identity in Future

New York July 5.-Emphatic ob-
 iections to the taking over by the
 American Red Cross of the work of
 the many war relief organiZat tions in
 this country at the present time wero
 voiced in a statement issued last
 night by Captain Philip J. Lydig.
 founder and head of the American
 Ambulance in Russia. Captain Lydig
 spoke for the federal council of al-
 lied war charities, composed of near
 ly one hundred national associations
 for allied war relief and including in
 it's representatives many of the most
 prominent men and women of this
 country. His statement in part, fol- lows:
 ''The erroneous impression having
 gone forth that the American Red Cross in appealing to the public for
 a fund of $100,O0O,o0O, so generously
 contributed by the people of the Uuited States intends to replace with it's organization and with this fund, to do all the work previously per- formed by the committees represent
 ed in the national allied relief com
 mittee and others, should be at once corrected. II dllOW GU to go without COTTeCC1On
 it will have the effect of causing,
 great unnecessary hardship and dis
 tress to the peoples of many coun- 1 tries, whom these organizations have been directly assisting by various
 practical and necessary means. The, effect will seriously hamper the col- lection of funds to continue work which is not now being performed by the American Red Cross-for in- stance, the sending of necessary food | to the Belgian prisoners in Germany! | as single illustration. Neglect to | continue subscriptions to the Belgian | Prisoners fund will result in many | prisoners suffering from hunger
 l "1t would, it seems to us of the l committees, be a serious mistake at | this time if the Red Cross were to- l take over all these activities. It has upon its hands immediate work to | perform with the armies in the field | and in other directions which, for the | present at least, will call for all it's 1 energies and all the money placed at 1 it's disposal. {, Captain Lydig explains further that | it is the desire of the organizations | to cooperate with the American Red 1 Cross, but not to allow the identity l OI IHe COHHlLto6S to De lOSJ. t1un-
 dreds of men and women he said, take 1 special interest in special problems 1 of war relief and this personal inter- | est will be lost if these individuals are deprived of further effort along l the lines which most appeal to them. | The statement is taken as express | ing the attitude which the represent 1 atives of the council will assume to- l ward the question of cooperation | with the American Red Cross. The
 subject is to be discussed this after noon by representatives of various 1 organizations at the headquarters ot l the council, 36O Madison avenue, and 1 tomorrow afternoon a committee rep | resenting the council will meet with l Judge Robert H. Lovett, head of the
 Union Pacific Railway, and appointed
 by the American Red Cross to take | charge of this question of co-opera- | ton with other organizations. The | meeting tomorrow afternoon will be | in Judge Lovett's offices at 165 Broad way