New York Tiraea, June 21f 1940
SENATE EASES CURB
ON RED GROSS SHIPS
Sends to House Proposal That
'Mercy' Vessels Be Permitted
to Enter Blockaded Seas
SPAIN'S   AID REQUESTED
Relief Cargo for Bordeaux Is
Now Headed for Bilbao and
Speedy Transfer Is Urged
The Red Cross Fand
Receipt* yesterday.. $452,796
Total to date.......$13,535,543
Sj*el»l lo Tub Ntw Yo»k Tints.
WASHINGTON, June 20 — The
Senate passed and sent to the
House today an amendment to the
Neutrality Act intended to relax
legal restrictions on calls at bellig-
erent ports of vessels under charter
to the Red Cross. Tho Senate added
a stipulation, howovcr. that the ves-
sel must be engaged exclusively on
an erand of mercy and that no such
vessel should call at the port of any
country under blockade or attempt-
ed blockade without tho permission
of the blockading power.
This proviso would alter consider-
ably the original Intent of the
amendment, which was sought by
the Administration at the instance
of the Red Cross to make less prob-
able technical violations of the Neu-
trality Act In these days of rapidly
shifting military controls. The
House Foreign Affairs Committee
will meet tomorrow morning, ac-
cording to Representative Bloom of
New York, Its chairman, to deter-
mine whether it will add the Senate
amendment, in tho interest of
speed, to the draft It hopes to bring
before the House tomorrow after-
noon.
In the meantime, the cooperation
of the Spanish Government In expe-
diting the transfer of the cargo of
the "mercy ship" McKeesport to
France following its expected land-
ing in Bilbao. Spain, on Wednesday
was asked by the American Red
Cross.
The request for aid in getting the
first cargo to war refugees and
wounded In Southern France was
made to Senor do Cardenas, Span-
ish Ambassador hero, and also by
cable to the Spanish Red Cross or-
ganization In Madrid.
leaded Trucks on Ship
The request stressed the need for
the foodstuffs, medical instruments,
drugs, surgical dressings and cloth-
ing in the cargo. It added that the
100 hospital trucks on the ship were
already loaded with supplies and
could be rushed at once to the
American Red Cross warehouse in
Bordeaux, under their own power,
if the Spanish Government would
help. Red Cross officials hope rail
transportation can be obtained
quickly for tho rest of the cargo.
The relief agency has made no
changes in its plans for relief to
France since the French request
for an armistice. Earlier it had
moved Its Paris headquarters to
Bordeaux, where it has chartered a
| warehouse to receive supplies, and
, also had rerouted the McKeesport
1 from Bordeaux to Bilbao-
Three days ago Norman H: Davis.
I Red Cross chairman, said aid for
i refugees and war-wounded in
France would continue to be sent.
In case of cessation of hostilities, so
long as the agency could be assured
| of getting the aid to those for whom
it was Intended. Tho Red Cross has
cabled $5,000 to tho United States
Consulate in Bordeaux to tide over
stranded American citizens await-
ing transportation to the United
States.
Fireworks Funds for Relief
Many communities and organiza-
I tions which had planned fireworks
| displays on the Fourth of July have
sent to the  Red Cross fund the
money set aside.
An additional contribution of
$1,000 from the Belgian Ambassa-
dor in Brazil, representing gifts
from citizens of Brazil, was re-
ceived by Chairman Davis today for
use of refugees from Belgium and
Luxembourg In France. Mrs.
Dwlght F. Davis, assistant director
of Red Cross Volunteer Special
Services, also contributed an addi-
tional $1,000.
Almost every man employed on
the Mount Rushmore Memorial at
Keystone, S. D.. contributed a day's
wages to make up a contribution of
$313 forwarded to the Red Cross
by William McRcynolds. chairman
of the commission. The covering
letters stated that the employes or-
ganized the canvass.
By order of Archbishop Joseph
Schrembs and Auxiliary Bishop
James A. McFadden. all Catholic
churches In tho Diocese of Cleve-
land, held a special collection for
the Red Cross war relief fund. A
total of $8,800 was contributed.
Second Givers Lift City's Total
War relief fund contributions re-
1 ceived yesterday by the New York
Red Cross chapter from donors in
! Manhattan and the Bronx raised
j the   total   to   $1,311,921. General
i Robert C. Davis, executive director.
I said many wore giving a second
time to speed the completion of
the chapter's $2,000,000 minimum
quota by tho end of this month.
Yesterday's gifts included an ad-
ditional $1,000 from Mrs. Jonathan
Bulklcy and $1,000 each from Co-
lumbia Gas and Electric Corpora-
tion, the Cleveland H. Dodge Foun-
dation and J. P. Grace. Miss Zena
I Raset of 20 East Eleventh Street
| brought in a treasured Christmas
i check for $15, which she received
| in December from Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt. She had intended to
| keep it as a souvenir, but decided
to give it to help war victims.
The chapter's apartment and ho-
tel division now has resident rep-
resentatives in 725 apartment
houses and hotels, General Davis
stated, and Is receiving the co-
operation of tho Hotel Association
of Now York.
Members of tho staff of the Me-
morial Hospital for tho Treatment
of Cancer and Allied Diseases, 444
1 East Sixty-eighth Street, gave a
Red Cross benefit tea yesterday at
| the Institution.   In addition to the
I proceeds from their ticket sale for
! the tea, they previously had con-
¦ tributed about $300 to the war re-
! lief fund.
Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer J. Fox
will open their garden at Peekskill
I for the benefit of the Peekskill Red
Cross chapter on Saturday, June
29. Admission will be 50 cents, en-
titling tho public to inspect the gar-
den's shrubs, lilies and herbs, situ-
ated Just off the Bronx River Park-
way, a short distance from Mo-
hanslc Park.
County Clerk Francis J. Sinnott.
chairman   of  the  Brooklyn Red
Cross chapter's drive, reported last
night that contributions received at
headquarters, 66 Court Street,
Brooklyn, totalled $145,016.28, al-
most two-thirds of the borough's
original quota of $200,000. Mr. Sin-
nott said the drive would be con-
tinued until the doubled quota of
$400,000 had been reached.
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