The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-11-10

regularity made against the Friends
of Soviet Russia by the Jewish Daily
Forward has made its findings pub
lie. In a long and detailed report
the committee deals with every one
of the accusations specifically,
reaching this conclusion: "We have
no evidence Of the diversion OF
funds into other channels. There
was no showing Of extravaganza or
of Irregularities which offer any
ground for real criticism
The attack on the relief organi-
zation was made by the Jewish pub
lcation editorially early in August.
The outstanding charge was that
! funds collected for relief were used
for political propaganda. The or
ganization denied this and all other
charges emphatically, and designat-
ed group of men whose integrity
is unquestioned by any of the par
ties to the controversy to investl-
gate all the records Of the F. S. r.
| The committee consisted Of Roger
| N. Baldwin of the Civil Liberties
Union, as chairman; Robert Norris
Lovett of the New Republic; Tim
othy Healy of the Stationary Fire
mems Union; Norman NJ. Thomas
of the League for Industrial Con-
troll; and Walter Nelles, attorney.
1t is this committee which now
has rendered report. 1t is signed
by all but Mr. Nelles, who refrain
ed because his partner was at one
time counsel for the F. S. R. He
concurs, however, in all findings
Of fact.
As typical of the charges and the
facts revealed by the impartial IN
vestigation may be cited the accu-
sation that funds collected for re-
lief were used to subsidiZe commun-
list papers. The committee and its
own certified accountant found that
of the total of $18,71963 spent in
advertising (an expenditure amply
justified by the results), less than
: $4,000 went to publications of a
communist bias.
at seems to the committee nat
b ural,' the report says, that the
> Friends of Soviet Russia should
have distributed its advertising as
it has, in view of the people whom
it is endeavoring to reach with its
. appeal for funds. The organization
considered that the liberals and the
radical working class groups were
those most likely to help, and placed
their advertising accordingly. The
committee does not know what dis
, examinations may have been made
: among the foreign language papers,
but they are unimpOrtant. 1t Is
= perfectly clear that no communist
paper was subsidized by advertls-
, ing and that the communist press
l as a whole received but a small and
/ -, Df +ba +n+ %
I amount spent in advertising.'
Summarizing the result Of its
work on the whole issues of diver
sion of money and communist pro-
paganda, the committee states as
follows: "In general, the commit
tee finds that the charges are not
borne out by the facts, although 1t
is perfectly clear to any one who
looks at letterhead of the Friends
of Soviet Russia that it is pro-sov-
let and controlled by members OF
the Workers Party. But it must
be remembered that the organiza-
ton is committed by its very name
to the Soviet regime in Russia.
The nature Of the Friends of Soviet
Russia has been so clear all along
that any one who objected to giving
to an organization friendly to the
Russian government could easily
have gotten the facts. Those who
T. gave should not now criticize its
motives. Its work has been con-
Quoted with real and single-minded
devotion to the cause Of famine
: relief
In regard to insinuations made by
: detractors of the Friends Of Soviet
! p,,r-So h1 rrr,r7r7G Rf a.
gance in its conduct OF business,
the investigators found that the
charges are not borne out by the
examination of the facts" The
committee went further and made
a comparative study Of the costs OF
raising funds and distributing
foods. revealing that the F. s. K,
| overhead was mot high compared
| with other Russian relief organiza-
| TONS
After discussing in detail specific
! charges Of irregularity, the COM
mittee reaches this judgment:
The charges of irregularities
are. as the facts above show, due
to misunderstanding of the COM
plicated business of the organlza-
ton and have no basis in fact. The
/, committee is convinced that the
business practices of the organiza-
ton are considerably above the av-
erage. and that not as much ground
for criticism can be found as with
the average organization making
= public appeals for funds. Mr.. Chase.
in commenting on the methods of
auditing and reporting, says: I
would like to state that Mr. Woods
published reports dealing with the
finances of the Friends of Soviet
t Russia have set a new high level
in the technique of report writing.
/ know of no other charitable OF
relief organization the country over
n which is furnished with statements
of a like character and excellence y
The committee was impressed
with the soundness of Mr.. Chase's
observation after going over the
reports published in "Soviet Russia
J. and having in mind the reports OF
most such organizations"
The committee does take excep
ton to the fact that in their free
= time many of the organizers for the
IF. s. r. engaged in political con
d troversy 1t admits, however. tina
the difficulty of controlling the ac
tions of employees in the hours wher
they are not working is almost in
superable.
Because Of the standing of tn,
members of the committee in tn,
| labor and progressive movement o
the country, the report has grea
p. weight and may be counted on t,
n dispe. the Misunderstanding cause,
bv attacks which have Interfere,