Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-24
BY REX COLLIER.

What of the Red Cross and unem-
pioyment relief?
why Is it the Red Cross does not
hesitate to send 100000 to Chinese
flood sufferers, as 1t did Just the other
day. but refuses to donate dollar from
its national treasury for victims OF an
American industrial calamity?
What defense has the national Red
Cross for its policy of aloofrleSs in coal
and factory strikes, although men.
women and children may be in want
OF food and clothing?
What is the Red Gross for, anyway
Why vas IL organized and what are its
real functions?
These are among questions heard fire.
uuently over the dinner table, on the
street and in the CLUB. They are ques-
tons that were discussed on the floor
of the last Congress and that, most
assuredly, win be propounded with even
greater emphasis at the forthcoming
session.
All Seek Relief.
The cry of relief is being raised on
all sides, in crescendo chorus. Relief
for farmers. relief for miners. relief for
veterans, relief for factory unemployed
relief for any one and every one
affected by the depression.
To this cry for help the American
Red Cross. as national organization.
has turned a deaf ear, with the result
that 1t has become the vortex Of un-
precedented criticism.
Steadfastly the Red Cross has re-
ferred its critics to the charter granted
ii by Congress in 1905. That charter.
defining the duties Of the agency. is
the Bible of the Red Cross. Although
freely referred TO In many discussions
over relief policies, the charter Is a
little known document. Familiarity
with it. however, Is essential TO an IN
telligent consideration Of the Red
Cross problem
The Red Cross, as an international
body, was founded originally for the
specific purpose of affording relief TO
victims OF war. Clara Barton, founder
of the American organization, extended
this purpose to encompass relief for
those who suffer in time OF peace.
Duties of the American Red Cross,
as outlined in the charter OF 1908, are;
TO furnish volunteer aid TO the sick
and wounded in time of war 49,.
ITO act in matters of voluntary re-
lief and In accord with the military
and naval authorities as q medium OF
communication between the people OF
the United States of America and their
ITO continue and carry on a system
OF national and international relief in
time of peace and to apply the same
in mitigating the sufferings caused by
pestiIence, famine. fire. foods and other
great national calamities, and 10 devise
and carry on measures for preventing
same"
Last Clause Governs.
It is this last clause that governs the
Red Cross in formulating It's peace
time relief activities. Heretofore the
central committee. or governing board,
has looked upon the clause Is veritably
infiexible. The conservative attitude
has been that Congress took the trouble
to specify certain types of disasters to
indicate exactly what it meant by
"otner great national calamities."
The disasters mentioned by name In
the charter are in the act of God"
category. in the sense that they are be-
You'd the control of man. They are, in
general. of the cataciysnaic variety.
Science virtually has removed pesti-
lence as a scourge Of mankind, at least
in the United States, so that what was
originally one Of the primary problems
of the Red Cross has been eliminated
from serious consideration. When the
Red Cross was founded plaques were as
devastating as war. Today bubonic
plague, yellow fever and other once
dreaded disease are medical history.
Famine, too, rad been an almost for
gotten charge Of the American Red
Cross until last year. Famine Is
strong word. and there was much dis
cuSsion of the relation Of drougntS to
faminine. and vice versa, before the
Red Cross decided to take over drought
relief some months ago.
The Red Cross has sought TO draw
line between famine and crop failures.
Crops always are falling somewhere.
even in prosperous years. To set a
precedent in affording aid to stricken
farmers in isolated localities would be
to open the doors wide TO a, never
ending stream Of appeals for agTicui-
taIre. The Red Cross does not believe
Congress intended 1t 70 tackle the
farm problem.
Pondered Drought.
gravely before 1t agreed the drought
had reached the proportions OF "a
great national calamity" within the
meaning of its charter,
Complaining the drought problem
vas politics. Drought relief had be-
come an open political issue. Demo-
cratic critics OF the President had
sought 20 secure Federal appropriations
for relief When the administration
opposed this plan as too paternalistic,
partisan efforts we're made to appro-
pirate funds to be administered by the
Red Gross
Great was the surprise of advocates
OF the Federal relief plan when the
Red Cross declined the contribution.
The refusal was based on the fact that
the organizations charter directed il
te, render volunteer aid" that it had