The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-12-29

The expOnents of the "easy money"
theory have not been slow to capital
lie for their personal profit the pa
triotic sentiment of their country.
The trail Of their ventures, Ostensibly
designed to raise money by promot-
ing "baZaars" and benefits" by house
toulouse 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 intelligently organized and eff
Ciently 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. O. 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.
Little Left for Comforts.
Publication Of the balance sheets
of a 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
net profits available for providing
comforts" was less than $500 after the
expenses Of the enterprise had been
paid. The annual report Of league"
to furnish comforts" for the Seafight-
ers Of the country shows that out Of
100000 raised for the purpose, only
little more than $500 ever found its
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 flagrantly
fraudulent schemes of persons who re-
sort to house-to-house canvasses and
street collections to line their own
pockets.
The attention of the police of near
ly 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-
heved 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.
1t is difficult, Of course, to present
any intelligent estimate of the gross
amount of money raised by volunteer
collectors Of these various ''funds,"
but it undoubtedly mounts away up
into the millions.
There have been frequent instances
of men and women utterly lacking a
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 q slot and deco
rated with a big red cross. When adj
mitted she inquired breezily:
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 special purpose"
The police say that persons falsely
representing themselves as agents Of
the Red Cross or. other recognized or
ganizations 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. @. A. and few
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
opened war on them, with the result
that many were sent to prison, and the
patriotic charities regulated and or
ganized on a business basis under gov
ernment supervision.
Frauds in London Exposed.
In December, 1915, the London Daily
Mail began a crusade against the vol.
unteer war charities of an indiscrim