Evening star., 1945-05-15
WASHINGTON AND VICINITY
TUESDAY, MAY Is, 1915.
Alexandra Asks
10 Merge With
DC. War Fund
Chest Board Believes
Action Will Provide
Increase in Funds

The Board of Directors of the
Alexandria Community Chest yes
terday instructed its Executive Com
mittee to apply for membership in
the Washington Community War
Fund and to make every effort to
secure representation for Alexan-
dria on the Community War Fund
Budget Committee.
The action came after the board
heard the recommendations and the
minority report of a special COM
mittee named to study the question
of affiliation.
The majority report pointed out
that while Alexandria Community
Chest drives have fallen Is to 80
per cent short of their quotas in re-
cent years, Community War Fund
quotas have never failed by more
than 5 per cent. This indicates, the
report said, that the Alexandria
agencies would receive more money
under the merger plan.
In addition, the report stated,
professional Community Chest Of
ficials contacted by the committee
favor Metropolitan plan of solicit
tation and the experience of the
Red Cross has shown this method to
be the most desirable for localities
adjacent to large city.
Reports Indicate Satisfaction.
Reports from Arlington, Mont
gomery and Fairfax County Chest
officials to the committee have in
dicated that their experiences in
dealing with the Community War
Fund have been satisfactory for the
most part and their recent action in
forming an intersuburban council
is expected to strengthen greatly
their position in dealing with the
War Fund.
The committee also pointed out
that Alexandria has been forced in
recent years to negotiate with the
State War Fund for reduction in
the city's quota after the drive had
failed to meet its goal and this en-
barrassment would be obviated by
afflliating with joint Metropolitan
War Fund quota.
Finally, the committee believes
that split donations and the excuse,
Il gave in Washington, would be
eliminated by the afiliation and
that larger contributions would be
forthcoming from Alexandria resi-
dents, who are likely to give more
readily and generously in their Of
fees than in their homes and who
can be more easily canvassed
through an Office solicitation.
The minority report, presented by
Albert Smoot, vice president of the
Chest and chairman of the Budget
Committee. stated the belief that
the population of suburban areas
will increase in the future, while
that of Washington will remain
static, thereby Strengthening the
positions of suburban Chests.
Has No Constitution.
He further pointed out that the
Community War Fund is a body
without any constitution and by
laws. that its director and staff are
the same as that of the Washington
Community Chest, and that its
Board of Directors is a self-ap-
pointed and self-perpetuating body
with no suburban membership ex-
cept by verbal consent, and to date
has no suburban membership of any
sort on the Budget Committee.
Mr.. Smoot also said Arlington and
Montgomery Counties had expe-
rienced interference with campaign
management, causing more of
pressure type of campaign than the
suburban areas favored. He added
that all pledge cards of suburban
residents would remain in the Wash
ington Office.
Yesterdays action was the out
growth of a recent attempt on the
part of the Chest board to receive
fair share of the contributions of
Alexandria residents working in
Washington by negotiating with the
Community War Fund to make it
possible for such donations to revert
to Alexandria.
The proposals of a special COM
mittee from Alexandria were pre-
sented earlier to the War Fund
Board, but no action was taken
pending AleXandria's decision on
afflliation, which had been sug-
gested to its board at a recent meet
ing by Herbert L. Willett, executive
director of the Community War
Fund.