Evening star., 1946-04-05

erpected to reneW or cancel its
controversial maritime fund.-
raising agreement Dith labor
union relief committees. This is
one OF series of articles en-
planning the agreement.
Critics of the Red Cross wartime
Embarrassing agreement with organ
lied labor have inferred that the
contract was treated as secret and
violated sacred traditions of the
great humanitarian organization.
This both the Red Cross and labor
unions involved have denied
By the end of this month, when
the current agreement expires, the
Red Cross will have reimbursed the
labor union relief committees-not
the unions-to the extent of nearly
$3.50, 900 for actual out-of-pocket ex-
penses for conducting Red Cross
campaigns the past four years inside
the unions.
Criticism of the agreement since
last autumn has been light but sharp
and has come from three sources
Cd The sincere friends of the Red
Cross who regard the arrangement
as violation of the principle of v0-
untary service; co persons not fully
informed of the facts, and 90 the
labor-baiter type.
FactionaI Objection.
The Red Cross admits that a fac
ton within the organization has
objected to the agreement since il
was signed in September, 1912, with
thaa aLabpr League for Human Rights
(AFL) and the National CIO Com
munity Services Committee - the
welfare organizations whose stats
directed the union Embarrassing
campaigns. A fourth party to the
agreement was the National Wat
Fund.
Two Of the dissenters, Landon z
Thorne, a Wall Street banker, and
his assistant, Pearson Winslow
severed relations with the Red Cross
Mr.. Thorne had volunteered as war
time chairman of the Red Cross
Administrative Committee.
Two others of the l6-member
Central Committee voted negatively
on the agreement. One of them,
Mrs, Dwight F. Davis, objected Sc
strenuously she rendered her resig-
nation, withdrawing it only when
the late Norman H. Davis, then
national chairman, prevailed upon
her to remain. The other dissident
was George L. Harrison, president
of New York Life Insurance Co.
Mrs. Davis Statement.
Mrs. Davis since has resigned from
the Central Committee for personal
reasons. In a statement requested
by The Star she set out her objec-
tions, emphasizing she spoke as a
loyal Red Crosser.' The statement
follows:
THE American Red Cross belongs
to the American people; is sup
ported by them for their benefit.
Never before has it dealt with Or
ganized groups as such. There has
never been any distinction between
groups-organized or unorganized-
either in raising funds, performing
services or assisting those IN need.
Funds for the Red Cross always
have been raised on a voluntary
basis.
Under the existing agreement
between the Red Cross and these
two organizations, the Red Cross
recognizes these two labor groups
as an entity entitled to special
treatment, and thus the Red Cross
could be accused of buying their
good will.
Calls Defense "Expediency."
"The mere fact that some 10
months before each Embarrassing
campaign is under way the Red
Cross is asked to agree to reimburse
the expenses of these two labor
groups over 100000 for their future
work, in my opinion, carries it's own
condemnation In the defense re-
Gently given to the press for this
agreement by various departments
of the Red Cross I have yet to
see any defense not based wholly
on the grounds of expediency.
This agreement was in existence
some two years before it was pub
licized. 1t was then publicized in
such manner that neither the
rank and file of labor, nor the rank
and file of Red Cross workers fully
understood it. That this is a fact
is proved by the thousands of in
dignant letters which have been re-
ceived at national headquarters
from not only active workers and
contributors in the Red Cross, but
from members of these two labor
organizations, who resent the fact
that their groups are the only ones
being paid for their services to the
Red Cross. They rightly regard it
as a slur on their patriotism-when
their country was at war.
For the foregoing reasons, I re-
gard this agreement as equally det-
rlmental to the American Red Cross
and the two labor unions involved,
and as the agreement definitely
states that it can be terminated by
either party concerned, on reason
able notice, it is my hope that such
an agreement will never be re-
neWed"
Files Opened to Star.
cIhe Red Cross. which opened
its files to The Star, said that
since last October, 724 letters
protesting, or wishing informa-
ton about the agreement, have
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