Evening star., 1923-08-30
IRED CROSS BREACH
ADJUSTMENT URGED
american Body Central Fig
ure in Sensational Dis
f. pute at Geneva.
BY the Associated Rress.

4 by the -hsspClaleu HTeSS
I GENEVA. August 30.-EXtraord-
inary efforts are being made at
Geneva TO lessen the Importance of
the sensational incident affecting the
american Red Cross and the inter
na tional Geneva organization. and
she Genva officials even hope that
1hey may induce the Americans to
come here from Paris and attend the
closing of the Red Cross sessions
, The controversy hinges on report
submitted to the congress by the
international committee on the ne
gotiations for fusion Of the interna-
tional organization at Geneva and
the League of Red Cross Societies. in
which it was declared that the COM
lmittee does not believe that in the
domain of Red Cross work supremacy
of influence must belong to those
who are most powerful financially"
: This was interpreted by the Amer
lean delegates, who refused to attend
the eleventh congress now in session,
"aS grave reflection upon the mo-
lives" of the American Red Cross.
\ telegram sent by the interna
tional committee of the Red Cross to
John Barton Payne. chairman of the
american organization, in which in
tention to censure the American Red
Gross was disaNowed, was inspired by
desire to bridge the Chasm caused
by the text of Il report submitted To
the Geneva congress of the lnterna-
tional Red Cross, to which the Amcri
ean representatives, took strong cX-
ecption, and Ivy the lrttrrHor protest
Immediately forwarded by the Amcri-
cans.
Causes Great stir.
The controversy. however. has
caused It stir such as Geneva has
rarely seen, and temporarily ecIipscd
In M. in, AZ No. r,,i1
of the league of nations. opening
Friday. The incident has tended to
Increase the split between the Inter
national Red Cross committee, com
Cross. and the International League
of Red Grass Societies, whose head
Quarters is in Paris.
The latter organization. which was
formed by the late Henry +. David
son, and is composed Of the allied and
associated nations. is held :" have
been overShadowinE the Geneva as
sociation in Importance, and officials
of the Geneva body alleged yesterday
that American support of the league
had been used by the Paris organiza-
ton in a manner harmful to the in
tereSt of the Geneva society.
No Intention to SIur.
This was what was behind the ref
erence to money influence" in the
report, these officials declared and
there was no intention to east a Slur
on the splendid American Contribu-
tion to the alienation of world suf-
fering.
( Reconciliation and fusion of the
Paris and Geneva organizations have
been long attempted. but the attempts
failed. Another conciliatory move
was launched today by the appoint
meut of Il special commission to study
the entire problem OF Red Cross reor-
9anization. This commission will be
Composed of eleven members of ma
tional Red Cross societies. one repre-
sentative of the Geneva body and one
Of the League of Red Cross Societies.
with experts from both the Geneva
and Paris organizations.
: Geneva officials said yesterday they
hoped to maintain the international
Geneva society as the parent or cen
tral, body. because of it's emphasis
on neutrality as its guiding policy.
L. :. Policy Continued.
Some of the European delegates to
the Geneva conference criticised the
manner of presentation of the Ameri-
can protest saying that. it should
have been sent to the Secretariat di-
rect instead of to the Belgian Red
Cross representative. Gustave Ador,
former president of Switzerland. took
the lead in trying to remove the de-
plorable effects of the incident. He
referred to the esteem internationally
in which the American humanitarian
laborS were held and declared that
the conference could not be left under
the Impression that the Geneva COM
mittee had brought unjust accuSa-
uonS against the American Red Cross ;
so far from doing so. it had con-
stantly rendered solemn homage to
American Red Cross generosity and
all it had accomplished. The commit
tee had simply said that all Red Cross
societies were on footing of perfect
equality and that money should not
exercise any preponderating influence.
NJ. Ador wondered how that could
hurt the American Red Cross. I'VE
only asked whether perhaps the
American body was not acting under
the impression that it was those who
spent the most money who should
possess preponderance." he said. 1--WE
believe that in international philan
thropiC and humanitarian work
principles should dominate and that
all national societies should be on q
footing Of equality, however medic
ere their resources"
The Belgian representative who read
the American protest expressed the
opinion that the international report
was regrettable, even offensive, not
only to the American Red Cross, but
10 others. He presented resolution
of confidence in the American organ
ization.~
A general meeting has been ar
ranged for today, at which reorgan-
ization win be discussed with the
utmost freedom. The meeting, how
ever, will be a secret one.