Clara Barton: A Centenary Tribute to the World's Greatest Humanitarian: Founder of the American Red Cross Society, Author of the American Amendment to the International Red Cross Convention of Geneva, Founder of the National First Aid Association of AmericaYoung, Charles Sumner
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Clara Barton: A Centenary Tribute to the World's Greatest Humanitarian: Founder of the American Red Cross Society, Author of the American Amendment to the International Red Cross Convention of Geneva, Founder of the National First Aid Association of America
Young, Charles Sumner
Barton, Clara, 1821-1912
As a substitute for the proposed memorial tablet in the Red Cross
building, the statue of Clara Barton, representing American
philanthropy, should be placed in the “Hall of Fame” in the National
Capitol, alongside that of Frances Willard, representing temperance;
and the name of the Red Cross Founder also should be recognized as
President _In Memoriam_ of the American Red Cross, as her name is now
recognized by The National First Aid Association of America.
The foregoing is the authentic record presented to Congress in 1916, and
a complete statement of facts—all the important recorded facts—relating
to the “charges” of 1903–1904, with no official charges succeeding that
date. Nor have I found in many months of examination in the Library of
Congress, consisting of 2,800,000 volumes, or anywhere else of record,
any detraction of early American Red Cross history or the slightest
intimation that the Red Cross Founder was dishonest or a malfeasant in
office, except from the pen of this “lone accuser.”
Every officer, under oath sworn to conduct his office to the best of his
ability, that knowingly conceals “dishonest appropriation” of public
funds becomes _particeps criminis_, in the dishonest transaction. If
true, therefore, as the “lone accuser” asserts over her signature in her
letter to the Members of Congress, that “we (i.e., Red Cross) have
letters that seem to show”—“dishonest appropriation of relief funds”
then, inasmuch as no effort was made to recover from her or her estate
these alleged losses, Clara Barton’s successors as Red Cross executives,
in their capacity as trustees of a public trust, Mrs. John A. Logan, W.
H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson become involved.
“CHARGES”? YES, REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM
If not true, what could have been the object hoped for by the accusing
Red Cross official, in her perversion of Red Cross history? Was it that
she might dictate to one hundred millions of people the sentiment of a
government building, known as The American Red Cross Building? It is
somewhat significant that a few months later the United States put four
millions of soldiers in the field, to make “The World Safe for
Democracy.”
Since this chapter was written and in type, there came into the
possession of the author a letter, unsolicited, and relating to the
possible motive. The letter was written by the Honorable Francis
Atwater, the well-known Journalist and Ex-State Senator of Connecticut,
and who for 40 years was Clara Barton’s co-worker and financial adviser.
The letter, sworn to, follows:
October 14, 1921.
Mrs. Marietta B. Wilkins,
359 Boylston Street,
Boston, Mass.
My dear Mrs. Wilkins:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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