Evening star., 1928-11-21

Judge John Barton Payne, chairman
of the American Red Cross, and Col.
Ernest p. Bicknell, vice chairman In
charge of insular and foreign opera
tions, are back from great Red Cross
peace conference at The Hague. The
occasion was the thirteenth quinquen-
NAL meeting of the Red Cross societies
of the world. The main business IN
hand was to patch up some bitter post
war differences with the old Interna-
tional Red Cross Committee OF Geneva.
In 1919, on the initiative of Henry T.
Dawson. head of the American Red
Cross. the United States, Great Britain,
France, Italy and Japan formed the
League of Red Cross Societies. Tne
league determined to devote itself ex-
cl1Sively to peace time activities, es-
necially disaster relief Since its es-
tablishment In 1868, the international
committee has always specialized III
wartime work. AS the league swung
into action the committee rather felt
itself sidetracked In consequence, m
ternal strife has ragged among Eeo
Cross leaders all over the world LOT
the past nine years. At The Hague.tius
Fall, mainly due to the peace e-maXing
efforts of Judge Payne, who IS cnaT-
man Of the board OF governors OF tiie
League of Red Cross Societies, 1rlenoiy
relations have been re-established WIN
the international committee. The latter
will continue to have the field OF war
exclusively to itself, while the Rea
Cross Societies will, as in the past
concentrate their efforts in the DOMAIN
OF peace time mercy.
X 4 X X
Citrus fruit played NO inconsiderable
role in taking Florida's electoral Vote
into the Republican column. Therepy
hangs q Hoover tale. Three or iour
wears ago the fruit growers OF the ALI
gator State sent deputation to wash
ington TO see If DR.. Hoover couio pre-
scribe remedy for the rack ana rum
which faced their grapefruit and orange
groves. The deputation had a typlcal
seance at the Department OF Commerce:
Hoover listened n silence to its tale OF
woe. looked no member of the party IN
the face, scribbled geometrlcal designs
on a scratch-pad, and appeared only
mildly interested In what was being
said. Suddenly as soon as the spokes-
man Of the party quit talking, Hoover,
in a series of short and snappy state
ments, pointed out exactly what was
wrong. He recommended a scientlnc
cooperative marketing scheme, which
included in particular a search for mar
ketS remote from those to which COM
peting California fruit growers natural
ly cater The Floridians proceeded TO act
on Hoover's suggestions in toto. Today
the industry Is prosperous, ana hoover
gets the principle credit. Last years
citrus crop was worth $4,000, 600, or 10
times what the United States paid Spain
for Florida About 100000 600 is IN
vested in groves and $9,00o,oO0 more
in packing houses.
Those Communist flags waved at
Hoover in Palo Alto give timeliness to
the National Civic Federation's country
wide campaign to prevent American
recognition of Soviet Russia. Ihe
federation declares that formidable IN
fluences and continued pressure IN 1aVor
of recognition and trade agreements
with Russia" are being exerted by Ger
tain American business and financial
interests. Their allies, the federation
declares, are "all the radical groups IN
the United States. Matthew VOL,
acting president Of the federation, IS
seeking written pledges from prominent
citizens, approving Of the anti-recognl-
ton drive. Woll is one OF the vice
presidents of the American Federation
Of Labor and for many years has been
an influential factor in the workers
movement. He specializes in keeping
organized labor out of the red.
X X X X
Though it'll be nearly four months
before the Hoover administration be-
comes target for the bouquets and
brickbats to be hurled, respectively, by
its friends and foes, a nickname mas
already been coined for the personal
friends of the next President, who are
not professional politicians. They're
called "boy scouts" G.. o. p. organ
ization wheelhorses expect to have early