Independent Radical & Socialist-Sponsored Groups: Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee (1919 - 1921), American Red Star League (1921 - 1922)

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORYThe Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee was the medical relief arm of the Communist-directed Friends of Soviet Russia organization. The group worked hand in glove with the Russian Soviet Government Bureau headed by Ludwig Martens, which served as the official purchasing agent for the fundraising organization. Undercover investigation by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Investigation assured that authorities were well apprised of bitter criticism in the radical community of the ethics and accounting practices of Soviet Russia Medical Relief, charges levied with particular vehemence by the Anarchist-dominated Russian radical movement of the Detroit area. Federal authorites closely monitored the activities of the Russian-American radical movement through its placement of undercover agents and informers in the ranks of the various institutions and organizations. They were thus acutely aware of the allegations of financial impropriety levied against Dr. A.M. Rovin, Boris Roustam-Bek, and others of the Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee, with $2,000 said to have vanished without proper accounting.

In 1920 SRMRC published a 16 page pamphlet by the Soviet People's Commissar of Health, N.H. Semashko, entitled The Care of Health in Soviet Russia. (Copy NARA M-1085, reel 926)
The Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee seems to have been oriented towards the procurement and distribution of soap to Soviet Russia, in the hope of alleviating the spread of disease. (The sole relief effort of the Socialist Party of America to Soviet Russia in 1921 was along the same lines.) It worked out of a New York headquarters and maintained a "Western Office" in Chicago. The Russian Soviet Government Bureau, headed by Ludwig Martens, was the official procurement and distribution agent for the Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee. When, in the second half of December 1921 it became clear that the deportation of Ludwig Martens and the Soviet Bureau would be forthcoming, the decision was made to shut the Chicago "Western Office." On December 23, 1920, a letter was sent by Soviet Russia Medical Relief's Secretary, Joseph Michael, to the Director of the Western Office, attorney Charles L. Drake, instructing Drake to cancel further engagements and shutter the Chicago facility forthwith. Drake obtained an extension to Friday, Jan. 15, 1921, which was the final date of the Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee in the windy city.

Establishment of American Red Star League.
However, Charles Drake did not abandon the Chicago office, located at 59 East Van Buren St. Instead, he launched an altogether new organization to continue the work of sanitary and medical aid to Soviet Russia, the "American Red Star League," and used the former headquarters of the Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee as the base for the new organization. The American Red Star League seems to have launched on or about the same day that the Western Office terminated, Jan. 15, 1921. Irwin St. John Tucker was hired as organizer for the organization, and Lincoln Steffens provided service to the group as a paid lecturer.
The Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation of the American Red Star League based upon a request of Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover, a target of severe criticism by the league, with Hoover intimating that the group had no possible way to make good on its promises to provide material to Soviet Russia and thus was fraudulently raising funds. A report was prepared by Special Assistant to the Attorney General Warren Grimes which found otherwise, however:

"From the information at hand, I can find nothing tangible on which to base an assumption of fraud or, in fact, a violation of any law. Inevitably, of course, there will be irregularities -- there always have been in organizations of this kind. The Soviet Russia Medical Relief Society experienced them -- and this very scheme grew out of those irregularities. But the evidence shows that both organizations have at least made shipments. While the 'Declaration of Principles' and the personnel of the directorate clearly indicate the likelihood of both questionable faith and propaganda opportunities which undoubtedly will be worked to the limit; and while the activities of the organization and its officers should and will be followed closely, there appears nothing on which the Department could take extraordinary action at present."

(fn. Grimes, The American Red Star League: A Report by the Bureau of Investigation," NARA M-1085, reel 935, document 202600-934-13.)

 

The Communist movement was rather less sanguine about the new organization, however, with the Central Executive Committee of the United Communist Party coming out with an express condemnation of the Red Star League early in 1921. A bulletin read to the members of the UCP at their local meetings declared:

The attention of all groups is called to the reactionary character of the RED STAR LEAGUE. This league is a personal possession of Drake, a reactionary SP member, who formerly was a sub-secretary of the [Soviet Russia] Medical Relief. Groups and members should ask all workers not to support this league in any way.

(fn. UCP Bulletin No. 2 - 1921, Comintern Archive, RGASPI f. 515, op. 1, d. 43, l. 47.)

 
SRMRC objects to Red Star League.
The Soviet Russia Medical Relief Committee continued its own existence into 1921. It shared the UCP's antipathy to the new organization. On a Jan. 27, 1921 circular letter it attacked the decision of Charles Drake to continue its office closed Jan. 16 under the new name "American Red Star League." This letter stated that any effort at "boosting" this new group "as an organization authorized or recommeded by the recently deported representative of Soviet Russia, L. Martens" was "a plain misrepresentation." Only the SRMRC, based in New York City, had any such status, according to the letter.
Chairman of the SRMRC in Jan. 1921 was Dr. M. Michailovsky. Secretary was J. Michael and Treasurer was Dr. John Gutman.