The Washington times., 1921-07-12
N||5DEALS
REVEALED
IN LETTER
discriminating Messages Said to
Have Been Ordered Taken
From Files.

NEW YORK, Su,y 12.-Further
correspondence indicating that the
Red Cross endeavored to suppress
documentary criticism by its own
officials was revealed today.
The following sworn to original
letter, signed Robert E. Olds,"
Commissioner to Europe for the
Red Cross, dated "Paris, May B,
1920" is of interest. 1t was ad-
dressed, to Maj. c. Ross Corbin,
head of the section of salvage,
American Red Cross:
SCARY OF LETTER.
IT do not think Major Paysons
letter to you should remain in the
files. / am very glad to have had
an opportunity to read 1t, however
have destroyed the copy which
you sent me-"
This letter refers to correspondence
of April 10, 1920. Major c. c. Payson,
according to a sworn to original letter,
had written Major Corbin, alleging
that a blanket deal" had been put
through to the detriment of the Red
Cross.
The name of the man mentioned IN
the letter is withheld for Congressional
investigators. The letter follows, in
part:
IT am down here for a couple of
DAYS on a lob Colonel Olds wished
on to me, and as 1t concerns army
medical supplies, / have had to be
at the surgeon generals office and
have had the pleasure OF renewing
- H..
my acquaintance with Colonel moW
Major) Jones and with old scout
Colonel Whitcomb.
II did not see them together-a
few hours apart-and II is rather
striking that they both inquired very
pointedly about there naming the
man criticised by the writer).
81 tcli them I wasn't sure but
that l understood from manning an
other ,f?cer) that - had been
Transferred" which supposed
means 'dIsn issed,' and they both ex'
pressed satisfaction"
PUT OVER BLANKET DEAL.
The letter then recites matters of a.
critical vein and continues:
"Old, Colonel Wliitcomb said he
hopeo we were rid OF him. as he was
too smart AS / am not sure alb
soluteiy whether he is sun with the
A r. c.. pass this ores. you.
"One thing I am sure of is that
he is working or always worked
more for himself lian for tho A. II.
c. AS you know, I an, a trust
ing beast, but sinee have seen
the light about one thing tnnt
cuss put over.
las you know when we went
after-to get the French to sell
us certain ;s'ticles under the liqui-
dation agreement, we left blankets
off the list, as we knew we could
buy them cheaper i'm the open
market. 1t subsequently proved
that he had I'm some way line ON
o big lot of blankets outside Of
Paris and / feei sure now that hc
withheld the Information hoping
that we would pay higher price
through our regular pui chasing
department, which we did, and
that he could make personal cap
itaI out of saying what he could
have done, ETC., ETC."
THE PATH UF RED TAPE.
To this letter On April 20, 1920,
Major Cofbin replied, according to a
sworn-to copy of the letter 20 MAJOR
Payson in part as follows:
Thanks for your letter. 1t came
at time when II Will do me
little good because manning the
party referred to) just put 1t over
q little more.
Major -. You know he tried
to show that was crooked; but
when 1t was all over the only thing
he could show was that I was
stoop-shouldered l think that was
caused by trying to carry around
rather hot head made warmer
by men of the - and - type.
WANTED CHARGE DROPPED.
"I am inclosjug a copy of a letter
wrote Colonel Olds regarding
Colonel Olds rave gave me an inter
view and suggested that IL I would
recall the charges, he thought
would be released.
thine means nothing to most Of
the people over here. They are Just
making jobs for themselves. I tell
won what the REQ Cro<s mas been a