Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-02-25
OF THE RED CROSS
One of the Most Famous Organize
tlons on the Globe.

The Boston Tran script prints the
following interesting history Of the
world famous Red Cross Society:
Such noble women as Florence
and Clara Barton, to-
gether with societies working along
the same lines, have established the
fact that the civil power Is an impor-
tant factor In connection with the mil
itary in carrying out the sanitary SER
vice of armies engaged in war. For
generations there has been some sort
of custom or treaty, although very
crude, between beiligerent nations, for
the protection and care of the wound
ed on battlefields. The past fifty years
have seen great advance OF feeling
on the subject. Within o short time
after the Austrian Italian war of 1851,
DR.. Palasiano in Italy, M. Henri Ar
rauIt in Paris, and Mr.. Henry Dunant
in Geneva, published pamphlets in
which the humane idea of making the
wounded on battleflelds neutral was
put forward.
M. Dunant, the Swiss writer,
achieved the most. His work, the
famous stSouvenir of Solferino," de-
scribing his experiences as an eye
witness ON the field and after the vic
tory, gave the most realistic account
of the ghastliness of q battle and its
consequences ever published. He sug-
gested that associations should be
formed to send volunteer doctors and
nurses to attend the wounded in war,
and that an international conference
should be summoned to consider the
question. Both proposals were car
ried out In q few years. In 1858 the
Geneva Society of Public Science, Of
which M. Dunant was q prominent
member, assembled at Geneva con-
ference OF representative men from
almost all the European countries. 1t
was from this conference that the in
ternationaI committee for aiding
the wounded that the Red Cross
societies in various countries was
formed. The conference arrived al
conclusions which justified the Swiss
Federal Council in inviting the
various powers to attend diplo-
matte congress, which was held ip
Geneva in August, 1854. Fifteen Eu-
ropean powers and the United States
sent delegates, and the conclusions
were embodied in the so-called ae-
neva convention, which was signed
on August %, 1854. The great prin-
ciple of the Geneva convention is that
the wounded, those who attend to
them, their hospitals, ambulances and
everything pertaining to the sick and
injured in war, are acknowledged to
be neutral, and are to bs protected
and respected as such by the beIliger-
ents. The flag and armlet universally
adopted for hospitals, nurses, etc.,
bears a red cross on white ground
The treaty was first signed by twelve
governments; soon after by sixteen
and now forty governments have
agreed to be bound by the ten articles
Of the Red Gross Association, Japar
being the last to join. In the war be-
tween Austria and Prussia In 1885 thu
Red Cross Association was put to th'
test of actual experience, and its goot
points as well as its defects at onc'
appeared. The greatest difficulty aros'
from the ignorance of its provision
displayed by the Austrian army ant
citizens. The whole subject matter o
the Geneva treaty should be familia
to every citizen of the civilized world
so that in time of war everyone ma.
know the rights and privileges Of th'
treaty. Three conventions have beel
held since the first one-one In 1867 u
Paris, another In 1868 in Geneva ant
the last In 1884 in Geneva. At th,
second one fifteen additional article
were adopted, the last ten Of whicl
pertain to naval warfare. The Gamer
ican amendment" pertains to the re
lief of sufferers from famine, fire
food, drought, pestilence and cy
clones, as well as sufferers In wal
The credit of this amendment is at
tributed to Miss Barton.