[News items];

              12 HASKINS & SELLS March
Helping The Red Cross.
WHEN the American National Red
Cross asked for help in putting its
accounts in shape to be audited by the War
Department, the firm offered its service
gratis as a contribution to the cause.
Mr. Simson left for Washington on Janu­ary
22, where he has since been engaged
upon the work.
Under Mr. Simson's direction the records
for the six months ended December 31,
1917, showing receipts of $40,151,629.26
and disbursements of $35,452,546.06, are
being re-written in order to make possible
an audit by the War Department. This, it
is hoped, will give the Red Cross a clean bill
necessary to its successful continuance as an
institution supported by the public.
Alien Property Engagement.
T H E members of the staff will no doubt
be interested to learn that we have been
retained by Hon. A. Mitchell Palmer, Cus­todian,
to direct and supervise, through one
of the partners, the operation of the Bureau
of Audits of his office and to perform such
field services as may be assigned to us from
time to time "for the audit or examination
of, and report upon, the accounts of report­ers,
enemy or ally of enemy, liquidators,
depositaries, etc., etc."
Mr. Dunn will represent the firm in this
engagement, and during the course of the
engagement will spend most of his time in
Washington.
The Alien Property Custodian was ap­pointed
by the President under the "Trading
With the Enemy" Act of October 6, 1917.
The purpose of the Act is "to prevent aid
or comfort to the enemy or allies of the
enemy, to make available for war financing
any funds in this country belonging to the
enemies for such disposition as Congress
may deem advisable after the war is over."
The function of the Alien Property Cus­todian
is to act as the common law trustee
for all property which comes into his hands
for administration. The Act, as regards the
Custodian, requires further "that all moneys
(including checks and drafts payable on de­mand)
paid to, or received by the Alien
Property Custodian shall be deposited forth­with
with the Treasurer of the United
States, and may be invested or re-invested
by the Secretary of the Treasury in United
States bonds, or United States certificates of
indebtedness."
Copies of the circular of information re­lating
to the organization and operation of
the work of the Alien Property Custodian,
together with copies of the forms on which
reports of enemy property are required to be
made to the Custodian, will be found in our
library.
Suggestion Box.
THERE has been placed in the library at
the New York office a box for the pur­pose
of receiving suggestions. It is hoped
that you will avail yourself of the oppor­tunity
to make any suggestions which may
occur to you. They may relate to yourself,
your work, the work of the firm, conditions,
relations, methods, or anything you may
desire to communicate. They will receive
consideration; if possible, adoption. Com­munications
from offices other than the New
York may be addressed, "Haskins & Sells,
30 Broad Street, New York, Suggestion
Box."