Evening star., 1946-04-05

Wv hPI ~ III tItC AHtCI tCuU
Red Cross Central Committee is
expected to reneW or cancel its
controversial maritime fund
raising agreement With labor
union relief committees. This is
one OF series OF articles er-
planning the agreement.
| Critics of the Red Cross wartime
Embarrassing agreement with organ
lied labor have inferred that the
contract was treated as a 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
$750,00G for actual out-of-pocket ex-
penses for conducting Red Gross
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 VOL
untary service; (2) persons not fully
Informed of the facts, and 90 the
labor-baiter type.
Factional Objection.
The Red Cross admits that a fac
ton within the organization has
objected to the agreement since it
was signed in September, 1912, with
the Labor 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 War
Fund.
Two of the dissenters, Landon K
Thorne, 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 l8-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 its own