Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-05-15
The War Chest Menace

| 4 ne w ar T. nGSf W GgaQC&
The interests enlisted in the move
| TneTt TO disrupt the sentiment and sym
pathy of the United States that is behind
| the American Red Cross and the Young
Mems Christian Association, as war re-
lief agencies. by the introduction into the
Fund Municipal Fund County Aid"
and similar movements, for the ostensible
pudpose OF furthering and making more
effective the collection and distribution of
voluntary contributions, are becoming
more apparent.
NO doubt. many have been and are be
ing nfisied By the specious arguments ad-
Tanced IN favor of the War Chest" a
proposal which is typical Of all the 9TH
ers. II community has it's own gem
eral fund for war relief purposes, main
tanned by the public generally that fund,
it is held, may be drawn upon, as re-
uuired, by the war relief agency, society,
association, Or organization of any name,
N need Of the financial help requisite to
the carrying on of its work. A local
commission, or committee viii see to 1t
that the distribution OF money from the
community fund shall be inteIligently and
AapaFtfaiiy made. Not only will such
agencies as the American Rezs Cross, the
Z. NJ. c. A., aad the knights of Colum-
bus be granted their respective proper
tons. but all other activities arising ont
OF the war viii be promptly and equit-
ably recognized. Thus, as calls are made
II behalf of the Red Cross, the Y NJ c.
A., the knights of Columbus. the Saliva
ton Army, and the long list of other
war relief societies, as well as for thrift
stamp" and Liberty Loan purchases. the
community, so to speak. viii meet them
by reaching into its war chest" and TAX
ing out what is needed.
To the unthinking this doubtless seems
comprehensive, liberal, and generous
method Of dealing with the whole prob
nlittee, in any community having war
chest were composed of intelligent COM
petent, impartial. unprecedented, patriotic
People. dominated only by the single pur-
pose OF performing sacred duty, it is
possible that the scheme might, in some
instances, serve, fairly well. But even
then, and at the most, it would be simply
an attempt to treat question of not
only national but international scope from
a local point of view. Only those whose
vision extends over the entire field over
the entire world. can know, with anything
appfoHlmating accuracy, what are, or
what may be, the needs of a great war
relief association at any given time More
likely than not, one of these great relief
associations would find, upon applying for
It's share OF a community fund in a time
OF urgent necessity, that the 'war chest
had been exhausted by the demands OF
minor organizations.
~ This is objection enough to the f'1yar
chest proposal But it is not the only or
tho most serious objection The great
mass Of the American people, the great
mass of the aid-giving population has a
very well-defined notion as to where and
now its contributions shall be used. This
is no less true of those who desire TO
maintain the Knights of Columbus than
OF those who desire to maintain the
American Red Cross and the Y. M C. A.
Each class has an unreasonable right to
decide how its contributions shall be
distributed and applied. Neither class
would be willing to leave the matter of
distribution and ppiieation TO a commits
sion, or committee in which il lacked
full confidence. Nor would those who
contributed the bulk of the fund be will
ing that the bulk of the relief should go
to organizations that were doing the
smaller share of relief work Nor would
the more liberal givers be content to see
their funds distributed among favorites
or for other than war relief purposes
Nor would the long tolerate sSctarian or
class interference in the management of
funds which they were helping to main
tain.
Only those who are looking for more
than their share of the war relief now
provided by the patriotic generosity of
the people of the United States have an
interest in the success of the independ-
emit, or community, war fund movement
The war chest" project is palpably de-
signed as a blow to the two great relief
organizations, the American Red Cross
and the 7 nj. c. A. in which the Amer
lean people as whole have unlimited
confidence. These institutions are non
sectarlan, non political, free from ex-
ternai influences, purely American. I'M
questtonabiy competent, tried and true;
and IN the future they win probably meet
with an unreasonable increase of the
confidence and moral and substantial
support which they have enjoyed in the
past,
The Christian Science Monitor.