The New York herald., 1921-01-16
First Comprehensive
Survey of War Relief
Contributions Based
on Official Figures
Is Made by The New
York Herald

it seemed so small. and equally difficult to
grasp by those who are not number ma
gicians is the bulk of gifts in money, SER
vice and goods costing money that America
has sent to Europe since 1914, when the
world war started.
When three great charitable organizations
alone place the value Of donations in round
numbers at $S25, 100000 some idea of the
immense sum of all the gifts may be arrived
at when seeking for a total
Huge sums, it would seem, encourage wild
guessing and there have been plenty of
guesses hazarded by serious writer's on the
subject that have been printed in toplofty
journals and absorbed without indigestion
by their readers. In the main, however,
what has been told the public is fiction on
8 basis of fact
The amateur mathematicians are under
no necessity to excuse what they did in the
way of computation, for they did the best
they could with the data at hand. This was
verisimilitude not verify, and the facts in
troduced to carry their figures belonged to
the border line between guess and reality.
Data From Relief Organizations
Which the Government Indorsed
Into the computation of the money value
of gifts sent to troubled Europe by generous
America imaginative figures, however rea-
sonably they might be used, are not to be
admitted. The great organizations working
abroad indorsed by the United States Gov
ernment have each been asked to supply
THE NEW YORK HERALD with the complete
data of the amount of gifts distributed and
the expense of this distribution. They have
cheerfully complied with this request, and
by the simple process of addition it is hoped
that the reader will be able to ascend pretty
near to the summit of the mountain that
may be figured to represent Americas gifts
In this round up, so to call it. the Endorsed
organizations are American Red Cross
knights Of Columbus, Young Mems Chris
tian Association, Young Womens Christian
Association. American Library Association,
Jewish Welfare Board and Salvation Army.
Other well known organizations, still ac-
tive. from which reports have been obtained
are: Americas Allies Cooperative Commit
tee, American Artists Committee of One
Hundred, American Committee for Devas-
tated France, American Committee for
Training in Suitable Trades the Manned Sol
ders Of France, American Friends of Musi-
clans in France, American Friends Service
Committee, American Memorial Hospital
Committee Of the American Fund for French
Wounded, American Ouvror Funds, Ameri-
can Students Committee of the Ecole des
Beaux Arts. American Women's Hospital,
Association dAide aux veuves des Militaires
de la Grande Guerre, Committee for Men
Blinded in Battle. Duryea War Relief Edith
Wharton War Charities, Fatherless Children
of France, Food for France Fund, Franco
American Committee for the Protection of
the Children Of the Frontier, Free Milk for
France, French Heroes Lafayette Memorial
Fund, French tuberculosis Soldiers Relief
Committee, International kindergarten Unit,
lie Paquet de POrphelin, Ligue Fraternelle
des Enfants de France, Permanent Blind Re-
lief War Fund. Secours Franco Americaine.
Smith College War Service Board War Re-
lief Department of the Needlework Guild of
America, Women's Oversee Hospitals. Amer
lean Free Milk and Relief for Italy, Ma
tional Fund for War Orphans of Italy,
Polish National Department. Polish Vic
Tins Relief Fund, American Jugo-Sav Re-
lief Committee, Rumanian Relief Commit
tee, Scottish Women's Hospitals. Serbian Aid
Fund. Serbian National Defence League,
Serbian Relief Committee American Commit
rine Breshovsky Russian Relief Fund,
Refugees in Russia, British War Relief As
socation, Children's Tin Box Fund Joint
Distribution Committee, National Allied Re-
lief Committee, War Work of the st. Vim
cent de Paul Society-General Council.
While the above represent working relief
societies whose audited accounts have been
accessible to the public since 1917 It must
be stated that they are but sprinkling of
the total number active since that year
throughout the country and still function
ing with more or less public recognition,
support and confidence. The gifts sent
by the latter not being catalogued or
ceipted for by any public functionary, cannot
be included in the grand total hoped to be
arrived at. There appears to be no good
reason for doubling the reliability OF such
societies, neighborhood leagues, newspaper
charities. &C.. but they must remain ancny-
nous so far as crediting them with their
good works is concerned, but they are them
selves TO blame.
Many Curious Collecting Societies