Evening star., 1923-08-28
WORLD RED CROSS
BODIES IN DISPUTE
League and international
Committee Row Over Con-
troll; U. S. Backing Former.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily New
Copyright. 1929.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

PARIS, August 2S.-Even the
iZatiou, the International Red Cross,
seems to be feeling the spirit of fac
tion and distrust which dominates
world politics today.
Two organization which ought to
be collaborators. but which seem
rather to be rivals. are claiming su-
premacy therein. and the dispute
which has been seething between
them for months probably will be re-
ferred for arbitration to the eleventh
formal international Red Cross con-
Gress. which opens today at Geneva.
One organization is the Interna-
tional Committee. sitting permanent
ly at Geneva, which originated the
international Red Cross idea, but
whose composition is wholly Swiss.
The other organization is the League
the war, with an International secre-
tariat at Paris and financed chiefly by
the American Red Cross.
Indeed, the Swiss committee has
gone so far a S to inSinuate in a re-
cent circular that the United States,
by means of its money, is trying to
keep control of the Red Cross organi-
aim of the Swiss committee seems to
be to subordinate the league on the
ground that the Swiss committee was
first in the field. The aim of the
pendence from the Swiss committee
on the ground that the Red Cross or
gdnizations of all nations should have
equal voices in the direction of inter-
national Red Cross affairs.
Feeling Running High.
Exchanges of views have already
gone SO far that feeling OIL both sides
is running high, so high. indeed. that
the American delegation may refuse
70 attend the Geneva meeting unless
insinuations made by the Swiss i'm
mediately are withdrawn.
The Scandinavian delegates stand
more or less with the Swiss; the
British. French and Belgians with the
Americans. The fusion of the COM
mittee and the league form the basis
of the dissension. Both parties claim
that they desire a fusion in the best
interests of the Red Cross, but they
disagree as to the best means of
bringing it about. Both have plans
Of their own for amalgamation.
The only mediator which has put
In an appearance up to date is the
Scandinavian Union and IL is accused
of being partial to the Swiss. Docu-
ments explaining the position of all
parties concerned have come into the
hands of the writer today Judge
societies. declares that the work of
the international or Swiss Genevez
committee should be restricted to
war and juridical activities when a
rfrn mi
inspire confidence in the minds OF
the belligerent communities.
U. s. Leader Explains.
In times of peace, says Judge
Payne, the control of most activities
should be vested in a truly inter-
national body, representing all
countries. the quondam belligerent as
well as the neutral, and particularly
those that contribute money to the
support of Red Cross internationalism
Gustave Ador, former president of
Switzerland, on behalf of the COM
mittee replies that his organization
is too deeply rooted in peace work to
yield ground without a struggle.
The only body which can settle the
dispute legally is the international
Red Cross Congress. such as that
meeting at Geneva, and to it DIR. Ador
proposes to appeal for arbitration.
Other points at issue are:
/ The seat of the future tnterna-
tional activities.
2. The composition of the execu-
tive organs.
8 The management of finances.
Paris md Geneva Rivals.
On the first point Geneva and Paris
seem to be rivals, both sides admitting
that the central executive body should
sit at Geneva, where the Red Cross
was founded But the league socie-
ties claim that the council and con-
eress meeting should take place else
where, anywhere the members may
desire.
On the second point, the most strik-
ing feature is compromise plan
brought forward by Prince Charles
of Sweden, with the approval of the
Norwegian, the Danish and the Fin
by Judge Payne. on the ground that
IT would subordinate the league So
cieties to the power of the committee.
On the third point, Ador says. text
uaIly:
The international committee does
not believe that In the domain of the
Red Cross the supreme influence
should belong to those who are pow
erful financially. Everything in
common labor institution like ours
should be disinterested."
WoITLD BAR POLITICS.