The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-30
Save the Red Cross

Eleven men and women sitting around table in
washington have marred the record of the American
Red Cross as the greatest agency of mercy in the
world
These eleven--out of the Red Cross central COM
mtitee of eighteen members-have voted "that the
Red Cross cannot accept the administration of the
funds for general relief purposes provided for under
the terms of the bill which has passed the senate and
is pending in the house of representatives"
we can not attack the Red Cross-the unselfsh
rank and file of members in the $500 chapters
throughout the country which constitute that splendid
relief organization. But we do challenge the Judgment
of those eleven board members who presumed to re-
verse the very purpose of the Red Cross and refused
the duty laid upon 1t by the congressional charter
der which it operates.
Those eleven-five appointed by the President-are
charged in congress with acting under the partisan
political pressure of Hoover who also president of
the Red Cross.
That has not been proved But certainly no one can
deny that the astounding action Of the Red Cross
board is in direct line with the Hoover policy of pre-
venting FEDERAL relief for the unemployed who are
starving.
The Red Gross board statement that it can not ad-
minister this proposed relief If true would be
plete indictment of the incompetence of that organ
ization But we have too much faith In $500 Red Cross
chapters of the country-fah based the record Of
those chapters during the war and in other ener-
oencesto believe that the Red Cross unable to adj
minister this relief
II is not the efficiency of Red Cross workers and
chapters that need worry the country; it is the
arbitrary and contradictory policy of the Red Cross
board.
In line with the Hoover policy of minimizing the
known facts regarding the extent of needed relief
Judge Payne, as chairman of the Red Cross told the
Ion fhuff hn RPr
Of s5yOOoOOO was adequate for all drought relief.
-Four days later he was forced to admit that he had
msled the country and congress- and had to call for
an additional $1o0000O0 fund from the public
If Hoover and the Red Cross board had not been
minimizing the serious situation for many months,
large fund would have been raised long ago by the
nublic and federal appropriation probably would
have been unnecessary
On Jan. 6, Judge Payne testified to the senate
committee regarding the proposed federal appropria-
tion for unemployment relief which the Red Gross is
not now touching:
IF the congress of the United States should say
that they want the Red Cross to do something, We
would do it's
And in saying that, Payne merely was stating the
Obvious fact that so long the Red Cross operates
under congressional charter for the specific purpose
of administering relief in National calamtes." it
honorably can not refuse to administer such fund.
But on JAM 81, Judge Payne and his board voted
to defy congress and to refuse relief funds What in
fuence made Payne and the board reverse Red Cross
policy within those three weeks?
Whatever the influence at work, the Red, Cross
board exceeded its authorty-which is to administer
relief and not to make political policy.
Which brings us to the situation Of Herbert
Hoover President OF the United States and president
Of the Red Cross. He should disavow and have the
RI Gross board disavow the political acton Of
JaSx FL
He must rescue the RED Gross from the political