Evening star., 1934-12-10
Red Cross and Relief.

through It's president, Jouett ShOuSe,
Is on record in favor of having direct
Government relief to the destitute and
unemployed, whether In money or
goods, handled by the American Red
Cross. The purpose is quite clear. 1t
Is to take the distribution of relief
money out of the hands OF politicians
and political machines. Decidedly, 1t
Is Q laudable purpose Said Mr..
Shouse, speaking in Boston Saturday
night: 1.-THE distribution of larsesses
from the public treasury Is one Of the
most ancient devices by which bu-
resucracies and other undemocratic
governments have sought TO maintain
themselves in power" The president
OF the American Liberty League added
that he did not say that this device
"is being tried" in this country and
by the present administration. II do
say" he continued, I'VE have pro-
vided the machinery for such an
attempt, and until that machinery is
dismantled 1t will constitute 6 PER-
manent temptation for misuse"
The machinery is there. Many per-
sons in this country have not been as
considerate as Mr. Shouss in discussing
the use that has been made of 1t. The
recent election has brought charges
that the public funds were used ef-
fectively by the party in power to bring
favorable votes. As Mr.. SholIse points
out. the distribution of money to
voters through political machines in
this country hitherto has been con-
fined to some of the larger cities. For
the first time the system, which ad-
mittedly has been effective, may be
tried on Nationwide basis.
The American Red Cross has always
been a non-political organization in
this country. 1t has done its work ef-
fectively and efficiently both in time
Of peace and in time of war. It has
distributed funds privately raised and
funds provided by the Government.
Probably no more effective step could
be taken to remove from politics the
distribution Of relief than to turn over
to the Red Cross the work of handling
the cash and goods that go to the men
and women ON relief rolls. 1t is q
question, as Mr.. Shollse says, that
Congress can well pass upon when new
appropriations are made this Winter
to provide relief funds for the needy
Congress turned over to the Red
Cross q large quantity Of wheat and
cotton in 1882 and 1888. Forty million
bushels of wheat, stored under the
stabilization program Of the Federal
Farm Board, now defunct, was allotted
by Congress to the Red Cross for dis
tribution to those in want. That was
in March, 1882. Additional allotments
brought the total to 85 900 900 bushels
of wheat, and it was made into TO-
6SS, ,307 barrels of -four, 1885 tons of
cereals and 233,sO1 tons of feed for
live stock. The cotton was converted
into 103,65O,778 yards of cloth and
sheeting. 66.7ss,524 ready-made gar
ments and 3,179,94l blankets and COM
forts. Mr.. Shouse said that the dis
tribution Of these wheat and cotton
products reached one out of five per-
sons in the Nation. He called atten-
tion to the fact that the Red Gross is
SO widely organized, with chapters in
every community. that it can deal
adequately, and has 50 dealt, with re-
lief problems in national emergencies.
The work of the Red Cross has been
done without favoritism and without q
word Of scandal being raised against
1t. An audit by the Government OF
Government funds handled by the
Red Cross is perfectly possible. II the
necessity for actual cash relief to mil
lions of persons in the United States
Is to continue, as has been predicted.
the money will have to be distributed
through a Government bureau, with a
constant threat of political influence,
or through some agency outside OF
politics. President Roosevelt has made
1t quite clear that the idea Of politics
An relief for the destitute Is strongly