Russian War Relief (RWR) (also known as the Russian War Relief Fund and The American Committee for Russian War Relief) was the largest American agency for foreign war relief. It had the "express and exclusive purpose of giving succor to the Russian people at a time of crisis." The organization was a

front organization A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy ...

for the USSR.Unlocking the Crypts: Most Spies Code Revealed Escaped Prosecution. ''The Washington Post'', December 25, 1996

Organizational history

On July 29, 1941, one month after Germany's attack on Russia, a group met in New York. This effort led to the formal establishment of Russian War Relief, Inc. (RWR) in New York on September 12, 1941. The group had headquarters located at 535 Fifth Avenue in New York City."Chairman,"
''New York Daily News,'' Sept. 29, 1941, p. 75. The organization launched its fundraising drive with a mass meeting held at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

on October 27, 1941. In addition to fundraising to provide medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the people of Soviet Russia, RWR conducted a public education mission to build support for the war effort. Late in 1941 the film ''Our Russian Front'' was produced, featuring war footage from the Eastern front."''Our Russian Front'' to be Shown at Trans-Luxe Theatre"
, ''Boston Globe,'' March 7, 1942, p. 14. The movie, produced by director

Lewis Milestone Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein (Russian: Лейб Мильштейн); September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was an American film director. Milestone directed '' Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1 ...

and documentary filmmaker Joris Ivens, featured narration by Walter Huston and was displayed in theaters to a paying audience. The film premiered on February 11, 1942. In 1942, actor

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

gave a speech at a meeting of the organization in San Francisco, where he called for the opening of a second front against Germany.

Aid distributed

A wide array of medical and humanitarian aid was provided to the Russian war effort by Russian War Relief. Some products distributed during the first year of the war included

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposu ...

and

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

medication, hospital field tents, x-ray film, surgical implements, sterilization equipment, and artificial sweetener."Relief Society Sends Saccharine to Russians,"
''Daily Palo Alto Times,'' Jan. 8, 1942, p. 7.

Intelligence operations

Russian War Relief was a front organization for the USSR with ties to Soviet Intelligence agents. Saville Sax was introduced to Soviet agents by his mother, Bluma, who worked for Russian War Relief. Sax was roommates with Theodore Hall who worked on the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

. Sax recruited Hall who gave a detailed description of the "

Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) was the design of the nuclear weapon the United States used for seven of the first eight nuclear weapons ever detonated in history. It is also the most powerful design to ever be used in warfare. A Fat Man ...

" plutonium bomb, and of several processes for purifying

plutonium Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four ...

, to Soviet intelligence.

Officials

Fred Myers, who later founded the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), served as director of public relations and was later promoted to Executive Director. The chairman of Russian War Relief was Edward C. Carter, chairman of the National Committee for Medical Aid to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, a member of the Executive Committee of the American Russian Institute, and secretary general of the Institute of Pacific Relations. From 1942, the fund was headed by Allen Wardwell.

References

{{Authority control Organizations established in 1941 Soviet Union friendship associations Soviet Union–United States relations United States friendship associations Humanitarian aid organizations of World War II

Organizational history

Aid distributed

Intelligence operations

Officials

See also

References