The tender of the proposed Relief Committee, thus voluntarily formed, was provisionally accepted by Mr. Stephen E. Barton, subject to the official acceptance by the American National Red Cross. Upon this provisional acceptance the Relief Committee proceeded to organize, and its membership was enlarged by the addition of men well known in social and financial circles of the City and State of New York.
The name adopted by the committee: “The American National Red Cross Relief Committee,” was perhaps unfortunate, in some respects, inasmuch as it created a certain confusion in the minds of the people, who were often unable to distinguish between the parent organization, the American National Red Cross, and the Relief Committee of New York. The committee having completed its organization, the tender of its services during the war was made and accepted in the following terms:
New York, May 3, 1898.
Gentlemen: We have before us the official communication in which your secretary, Mr. John P. Faure, transmits to us for action thereon, the following resolution from your executive committee:
Resolved, That the secretary be and he hereby is instructed to officially notify the American National Red Cross of the fact of the organization of this committee, requesting official acknowledgment and acceptance by the American National Red Cross, of the tender of financial co-operation and support offered by this committee.
In reply we would say that it gives us great pleasure to accept your generous offer of financial co-operation and support. In carrying out the object of your offer, you are authorized to make such a public appeal, in the name of the American National Red Cross, as you may think best.
For the purpose of unifying all effort, and concentrating all financial and material support to the American National Red Cross, we also confidently entrust to you, in consultation with our own executive committee, the work of inviting, through your committee, the co-operation of all Red Cross Relief Committees throughout the United States.
Very truly yours,
The American National Red Cross,
Clara Barton, President,
Geo. Kennan, Vice-President,
Stephen E. Barton, Second Vice-President.
The acceptance of this offer made necessary the formation of an executive committee of the American National Red Cross, with headquarters in the city of New York, whose function it would be to represent the Red Cross in its official dealings with the government at Washington, the American people and the Relief Committee, and to devise ways and means for the administration of the contributions of the people, through the appointment and direction of official representatives of the Red Cross in the camps. The executive committee was at once appointed and consisted of the following members: Stephen E. Barton, Charles A. Schieren, Hon. Joseph Sheldon, George W. Boldt and William B. Howland, and organized with Mr. Barton as chairman and Mr. Schieren as treasurer.