Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16
! Reaciionary Element
In Red Cross Attacked
BY Mrs. Meyer
~ the Associated Prsss.

NEW YORK, Nov. i6.-Mrs.
Eugene Meyer, wife Of the publisher
Of the Washington Post, said yester-
day ! "reactionary" element IN the
Red Cross had a. It's objective
bureaucratic power rather than
service to mankind"
Mrs. Meyer, . writer and lee
turer on social problems, told 4 New
York regional Red Cross conference:
Unless you zee to It that your
progressive leadership Ii upheld, the
Red Gross can easily become ! mem
ace to the progress OF democratic
ideas and their effective implement
tation."
Sees Threat to O'Connor.
She said one faction saw the need
for 4 "revaluaticn Of values In the
HIGHT Of social conditions and evolv-
ing contemporary needs" but that
another element clines with de-
peration to the worship OF en-
trenched power and Of certain au-
thoritarian ideas"
Mrs. Meyer said efforts were being
made to Dust Red Cross Director
Basil O'Connor ION the theory that
he Is too friendly to labor"
TN the absence OF Mr.. O'Con-
nor In Europe, officials of the
Red Cross here today would not
comment on Mrs. Meyers state
ment that elements within the
organization were seeking to
Gust the director.
tMr. OConnor was elected In
Paris yesterday as president of
the Board Of Governors of the
International League of Red
Cross Societies.)
Discussing what she called in
stances Of "the die-hard psychol-
ogy Of leaders, who would rather
wreck the Red Cross than see 1t
become democratic" Mrs. Meyer said
a distorted version had been pre-
sented Of the relationship between
labor and the Red Gross.
Labor. Pact Defended.
She said an agreement whereby
the Red Cross paid costs Of GIG
and AFL labor unions in raising
funds for the welfare agency wa.
IAN honorable and businesslike
agreement" which raised 10000.
900 for the Red Gross last year.
Those relations are based upor
an honorable and businesslike
agreement which does credit both
to the Red Cross and the labor or.
CARNATIONS. Yet for devious pur.
poses this contractual relationshiE
has been painted to the public as 8
stain on the otherwise untarnisheC
reputation of the Red Gross and ar
unpatriotic act on the part of the
labor unions"
She said the AFL and Clio "provet
they could act together when tn,
welfare Of the country is involved
by agreeing in lo42 with Communit,
War Chests, to collect at least on,
hours pay . month from unior
members.
Urges Unified Drive.
Then came the eternal problem
OF the separate Red Gross drive. Tn,
labor unions solved 1t by allocatin,
four months Of their annual intak,
to the Red Cross and eight month
to the (nationaD war fund.
us seems obvious to me that thu
country will never get whole hearted
cooperation from the Red Gross, IL
peace or war, until Its separate, ex.
lpensive, drum beating financial cam.
lpaign has been eliminated and com.
bined with the National War Fund.
Urging that the Red Gross collab.
crate with other welfare groups, Mrs
Meyer suggested upification of al
national organizations, includin,
veterans groups. tie Red Gross
labor welfare agencies, Communit,
Chests, the YWCA and YMCA ane
other groups In "a council Of ma.
tional welfare agencies"