The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-11-21
PR0PAeANDlsTs WORK 70
DEFANE RED GROSS elyERs
Claim Knitted Goods for Soldiers are
Sold for Profit Denial Made by
Mrs. A. C. Weiss Of Duluth.

Propagandists have been at work
in Duluth in an endeavor to discour-
age the women workers Of the Red
Cross in the making Of knitted gar
ments for the soldiers by giving cir
culation to stories that the goods
were being sold for profit, made
from yarn contributed by the nation
al society.
Their efforts have proved futile in
this city, for the women are going
forward with the work with more
zest than ever, determined to set at
rest any suspicion by producing re-
turn receipts indicating the arrival
of the goods at the front.
That no such condition existed
here such as the selling of knitted
goods intended for soldiers was the
positive statement of Mrs. Anton C.
Weiss in charge of the knitting
branch Of the Duluth Red Cross.
Further statement relative to the
propaganda was made by Mrs. Weiss
who said:
ut is true that stories have ap-
peared in papers of other cities stat
ing that certain persons had pur-
chased knitted garments which bore
the name of the maker, who, it was
alleged was a Red Cross worker
Naturally people come to the conclu-
sion that Red Cross workers were
selling the garments they made for
profit. I have learned that such
stories gained circulation from a
pro- German source, with the idea
that women who were devoting their
time and contributing money would
be discouraged, and the supply of
knitted garments would thereby be
decreased.
II can say that every garment
made by the Red Cross women of
Duluth, and every garment sent to
us by the women who make them at
home goes directly to some soldier
of the national army and that never
has single garment been sold or
taken away from here by any of. the
| women and worn or sold to any out
slider.
There has been a story circulated,
l believe, to the effect that lumber
jack in northern Minnesota said he
| purchased Red Cross sweater for
So, and was sending it to a soldier.
We traced that story down as far
as we could, but could not reach the
instigator of it. People should know
that pro-Germans will endeavor in
every way to discourage every kind
of work that will benefit the national
army.
1T was reported also that some
woman sent sweater to her son in
the army and wove into it..a gold
piece: The story goes that one day
the mother of the boy met a friend
who was Red Cross woman, and in
tapping her on the shoulder felt the
gold piece she had enclosed and re-
cognized the sweater as that of her
own make. There is no truth to
that at all. Every sweater that
comes to us goes to some soldier
We cannot, however, send sweaters
to any particular individual, but they
are sent en- masse to the army.
Il wish that you would make it
plain that the women of Duluth Red
Cross are conscientious in their work
and are not taking the garments
made here for their own comfort or
profit. Our work is here to be in.
spected. Our books are open to the
public and investigation will be wei.
coined" ."-Duluth News Tribune.
Owing to the stories which have
been circulated regarding the sale of
articles made by the Red Cross, Mrs.
J. c. Murphy wrote Chas. S. Sargent,
the Duluth manager, in regard to it
and received the following reply:
1.-The sock and sweater stories to
which you refer have been circulated
all over the country from the Allan.
tic to the Pacific coasts, and they
are part Of the German propaganda
to hinder the work of the Red Cross
They are absolutely false and you
will be doing a service to the Red
Cross if you can run down the party
who is circulating them in your
town.
Yours very truly,
CHAS. S. SARGENT
/ Manager"