Evening star., 1946-04-01

Frank r. Kent. The Red Cross
alone remains under union contract
It's contract expires next month
and the Central Committee will de-
eide at its meeting on April 8 wheth-
er to rescind or renew. This Is a
momentous decision. Either the Rec
Cross will discard an arrangement
which has aroused deep resentment
among workers and contributors ano
is in clear conflict with Red Gross
traditions and principles or 1t will
become permanently and unwhole-
somely riveted upon it. The Gen.
trail Committee, supreme governing
body Of the organization, Is COM
posed of 18 members, but the at
tendance rarely is more than IL. Fol
the past two years this committee
has been dominated by Chairman
Basil O'Connor, who was supported
by the CIO for reappointment last
December and is believed committed
to renewal of the contract. 1t Will
not be renewed, however, without
opposition.
"EXped1ency DlScOuHtcu'
In the last campaign, Red Cross
MANAGEMENT defended this contract
solely on the ground of expediency
1t put out statements III which II
told how well the arrangement had
worked, how much money had been
collected, how relatively small the
expenses were and how happy every
body was about it. All of which was
misleading and uncandid. Some OF
1t was so evasive and confused as to
be ridiculous. Especially misleading
was the statement that mot one
cent is paid by the Red Cross to any
union" This, of course, Is false.
The money is paid to the C1O COM
mittee on war relief and the AFL
committee on human rights. But
these are as much part Of the main
unions as Mr.. Sidney Hillman's Po-
litical Action Committee is part OF
the CIO. In all its explanations
the Red Cross management has con-
sistently avoided the following IN
contestable facts:
l. That it did not enter into this
contract willingly, but, on the writ
ten testimony of Mr.. Guy Emerson,
Of New York, who conducted the
negotiations, reluctantly and be-
cause I'VE had no choice" In an
official report, made after strong
protests in the Central Committee,
Mr.. Emerson explained that prior
to this contract the labor leaders
had been unfriendly," that after the
National War Fund made its ar
rangement,, I'VE had to choose be-
tween going along" or being edged
out" of the industrial field; that we
could not get free ride"
2. That though the Railroad
Brotherhoods and the United Mine
Workers regularly contribute their
quota, there is no similar contract
with them and the CIO-AFL con-
tract has been strongly denounced
particularly by Mr.. John L. Lewis,
who. as Red Cross incorporation, at
the December meeting branded it as
an outrageous kick back" of which
both the Red Cross and the unions
should be ashamed.
3. Despite assertions that there
was no secrecy about the contract,
millions of Red Cross workers, con-
tributors and officials never grasped
its implications until the facts were
printed last October. Since then
thousands Of protesting letters have
been received-and they still con-
tinue to come in.
4. That last December resolu-
ton deploring the contract and
urging the Central Committee to
rescind it was overwhelmingly
adopted by more than 300 women
from all over the country, heads of
the Red Cross Special Volunteer
Services.
Agency Isolated.
S. That, actually, it is a device
by which the Red Cross has been
isolated from millions of workers
to whom it can no longer make
a personal appeal and the unions
have acquired complete control over
the charitable contributions of their
members. No amount of money
should compensate for this. Thou
sands of devoted friends of the Red
Cross believe this a bad arrangement
and that no matter what the
financial results (and they are not
nearly as good as claimeO the Red
Cross will not be healthy so long
as it is in force. In the country
generally there is a strong feeling
that, regardless of how potent they
may be in politics, these unions
should not be influential in the
Red Cross and that this special ar
rangement" gives them very great
influence.
In at least one city-St. Louis
the CIO has now succeeded in
organizing some of the Red Cross
social workers. 1t would like to
organize in all. No class, sect, union
or group ought to be especially in
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