Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1920 — McCRAY'S RED CROSS RECORD UNDER FIRE [ARTICLE]

McCRAY'S RED CROSS RECORD UNDER FIRE

Sends Personal Check for Qontrlbu* tion, Thus Denying Credit to His County for “Going Over Top.” Brook, -Oct. 19.—As a result of the Refusal of Warren T. McCray, Republican candidate for governor* to co-operate with the Newton county chapter of the American Red Cross, of which he was vice-president, the books of that chapter have never been audited, the financial affairs are still in a chaotic condition and there is ' a tremendous amount of dissatisfaction among the members of the organization. The inability of the chapter to furnish a statement to the national organization has been a matter for consideration by the director of the district and the present secretary has been assured that a special audit will be undertaken with a view to obtaining a definite knowledge of the collection and disposition of the funds which were collected and transmitted under the direction of Mr. McCray. McCray Denied Obligation The Newton chapter raised approximately $7,400 to meet its quota of $6,000 for the first Red Cross drive of the war. The chapter was

never officially accredited with a cent of this money. It has no record of having raised it or of having it contributed to the national organization. This lack of definite record of this sum is laid directly to Mr. McCray’s action in refusing to recognize that he had any obligation to report on the disposition of this fund. Let it be said in the beginning that no one connected with the chapter accuses Mr. McCray of misusing a dollar of the Red Cross funds. Every member is satisfied that Mr.* McCray collected this money and paid it over to the proper treasuries by his personal checks. Right there is' where the only criticism arises. Members of the chapter who contributed declare that Mr. McCray insisted nn taking advantage of the liberality of his Newton county neighbors to gain for himself credit for contributing all the money that was raised in the Red Cross drive and they say that even today there is ’no record that any one in Newton county except Mr. McCray ever gave a dollar to this quota. The JTewton county chapter of the American Red Cross was organized at Kentland May 15, 1917. It held a meeting at Brook June 14, 1917, at which an executive committee, which included McCray, was authorized to "plan its own campaign and solicit its own helpers” to raise the $6,4)00 quota assigned to the chapter. Sought Personal Recognition,,, Approximately $7,400 was raised and the funds collected by Wdrren I*. McCray. Instead of sending the noney. to the national treasury as * / < ‘

the quota of the Newton county chapter, Mr. McCray sent it; in by the use of his personal checks and the credit for it was obtained by Warren T. McCray instead of the Newton county chapter. At a meeting of the chapter at Brook July 28, 1918, Mr. McCray was asked to m<ke a report of the finances of the drive. He refused to make the report, declared that he did not know that there was a Newton county chapter o( the Red Cross and declared that he had handled the money contributed by the direct authority of some one other than the chapter which had appointed him to the executive committee for that purpose. The minutes of this meeting show the following: “Letter of Mr. Bentley regarding war fund subscription was read and discussion resulted that the Newton county chapter had met the amount asked for in its subscription of $6,000 and no further action be taken.” j Subsequently, the books of the chapter were turned over to Greeley Davis, Republican candidate for auditor of Newton county, for auditing. ! Mr. Davis returned them with the statement that they were in such condition that they could not be , audited. No Accounting Made Examination of the books of the chapter show that there is no accounting In them for the war fund subscriptions. Officers of the chapter at that time say that they could not be expected to account for a fund which they neither received nor ; disbursed. j As a result of this failure of Mr. i McCray to co-operate with the officers of the Newton county chapter — 1. The books of the chapter cannot be audited. 2. The chapter has never received public credit for contributing its full quota and more to the Red Cross war fund. 3. Warren T. McCray has received credit for contributing the whole of Newton county’s quota, which in reality was contributed by about 1,500 members of the chapter. 4. Unwarranted criticism and suspicion has been created by the officers of the chapter because they cannot provide an accounting for funds which Mr. McCray handled exclusively and for which he refused to account to them. The incident is not regarded by Newton county’s citizens as Indicative of any improper use of the Red Cross funds. But is regarded as, conclusive proof of a disposition on the part of Mr. McCray to take unto himself credit for philanthropy to which he is not entitled and credit which could only be obtained by creating unjust reflections on his ' neighbors: It Is for'this reason that Warreu iT. McCray’s candidacy for governor is none too popular among Red Cross workers in Newton county.