The Washington herald., 1920-12-20
Whom they have injured they also hate.
Seneca.
Traffic in Distress.

II prominently featured news story, the New
York Evening World of December IS charges
- that foreign born citizens and aliens in the
United States being robbed of millions of dol
lars by individuals and fake organizations operating
rs relief associations, private bankers, expectation
companies, immigration bureaus and the like.
The meager savings OF ignorant and credulous,
but lsrgehesrted people, it is charged, are being
appropriated by individuals and organizations en-
gagged in the contemplate business of exploiting the
suffering OF the starving people of Central Europe.
Many cases, pathetic and tragic, are cited in
this article as examples of the rapacity of these
human vuItures. To most of us it seems inconceiy-
able that there so debased that they can
carry the iniquitous traffic which this article
describes.
The purpose which undoubtedly caused the
World to make this Investigation and to give the
widest publicity its findings is most commendabe,
but 1t is very unfortunate that the emphasis has
been placed wholly the fraud which lis being
practiced with scarcely any mention of those
agencies of relief which have been unselfshly and
efficiently conducted and have been the means Of
saving the lives of thousands of men, women and
children in Central Europe.
The casual reader of this account; unless he is
familiar with the activities of these reliable organza-
lions, must surely get the impression that the great
majority of relief organizations corrupt and that
the money he contributes IS more likely to hnd its
way into the pockets of the promoters of the relief
enterprise than to reach those whose appeal for
help he has answered.
The Evening World is, of course aware that at
this time many of the great relief organizations Of
the nation have united in the European Relief Coun-
I'll under the leadership of Herbert Hoover TO raise
Ss3ooo,ooo for the purpose of saving the lives of
$4,000 children
1t is, also, perfectly apparent that if an impress
sion, which undermines faith in all agencies engaged
in relief work, is allowed to so FORTH great wrong
will be done to the children Of Europe whose lives
may be forfeited if America does not respond gen.
erously to the appeal which is being made
In disclosing the vicious and criminal practices
Of fake relief organizations the Evening World is
performing a distinct service. That service can be
greatly extended if, with the facts it has hand
the World bring about the conviction and
suppression of those who have violated the laws of
the State and of humanity and if, at the same time
it confirm the public's confidence in reliable re-
lief organizations whose records the expressions
of American unselhshness.
The activities which the World has exposed
cannot be allowed to add to the evil they have al
ready done by curailing American contributions for
the children of Europe. The cupidity of those rob-
bers of the helpless does not lessen our respon-
sibility.
1t should, on the other hand, be made to serve
as means to strengthen the hands of those whose
records of benevolent service in relieving European
distress have made them the worthy representatives
of the humanitarian spirit of America.