New-York tribune., 1920-09-04
Fight to Get
Children Home
May Halt Ship
Refugees Must Be Sent to
Russia Direct or Court In
junction Will Be Asked
by Wo1nan's Committee
Youngsters See Zoo. Here
Old Man With Suitcase
Taken for Red Agent I'm
til He Produces Apples

Action will be taken in the United
States Court here Monday morning
seeking to stop the Red Cross from
sending the 780 Russian refugee chill
dren to their homes via France, unless
it is decided in the mean time to route
the little refugees to Petrograd direct.
This action will be in the form of a
request for an injunction to restrain
the Japanese steamer, Yomei Maru,
which brought the refugees here from
Siberia, from sailing for a French
port with the little ones on board.
night of Miss Helen Todd, speaking
for the American Woman's Emergency
Committee, an organization which has
been sending milk and medicine to
Russia via England. The action will
come as a sequel to much discussion
between the committee and Red Cross
officials, who are providing for the
children ut Fort Wadsworth, Staten
Island.
The guardianship status of the refu-
gees is being urgently inquired into
by the emergency committee.
Protests by Russians Here
According to Miss Todd, the commit
tees interest in behalf Of the children
iS VIC result " many iHOAsu uaHt plo-
tests by Russians Of this city to the
effect that the youngsters should be
returned direct to their parents. Rep
resentatives of the committee who
have questioned many of the refugees
through interpreters say the children
greatly resent being returned to their
families by way of France.
A mass meeting has been called by
the emergency committee for tonight
at o'clock at the Lexington Opera
House, Fifty-first Street and Lexing
been invited to attend to explain to
tho Russians who will attend the rea-
son for the children's destination.
F. P Keppel, national vice-chairman
of the American Red Cross, yesterday
in a telegram answered the recent pro-
test of the American Womcn's Emer
gency Association.
MIR. Keppel explained that the tenn
porary holding of these children is
merely Incident to the whole pro
ccdure of repatriation. The vicc-chair-
man cites that the American Red Cross.
at it's own expense, has taken care of
these children for eighteen months
and "recognizes its moral obligation to
deliver these children to their parents
if they are alive and can be relied
upon"
Major R.. H. Allen, in charge Of the
refugees, said that the only interest
the Red Cross has in them is that of
seeing them back to their families in
safety.
Rigors of Winter Feared
The approaching Russian winter,
with it's severe cold, might cause them
great suffering unless the children were
we'll provided for, he told emergency
committee members yesterday. They
can be better provided for in France,
he said. From Franco they can COM
municate with their families.
Miss Todd, who is the leading figure
in the protest, ridiculed the statement
that the children might suffer from the
severe climate of their mother coun
try. She said the Soviet government
has offered to see them properly pro-
vided for and has offered to guarantee
safe conduct to Riga, few hundred
miles from their homes.
Another step in the protest will take
the form of kilograms to President
Wilson and the Secretary of State.
The refugees were the guests of the
Geological Society at the Bronx Zoo
yesterday. The children were chap
eroned by the Red Cross and by men,
bers of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
The program for them was under the