The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-11

Chile. Peru, Argentina and Japan. The
nations named have bound themselves
in time of war TO regard the Red Cross
as neutral. and. without regard TO the
uniform worn by the wounded soldier,
the merciful mission of the Red Cross
is to succor the injured and brave death
to carry from the battlefield the VIC
Tins OF war.
Not only do the nations bind them
selves to respect the Red Cross flag
to the extent of r~efraining from firing
where the symbol of mercy waves. but
they agree that the uniform of the or
der shall be sufficient 10 insure the
wearer's safe passage through the hos
/ tile lines, if by so doing the noble work
of helping the injured can be furthered.
The agreement between the nations
regarding the status of the Red Cross
society Went further than this. When,
on Feb. 3. 1868, by the appointment Of
! a committee at the eneVa V
ton, with General Dufour. commander
in-chief of the Swiss army, at its head,
to carry out the ideas Of the delegates
the Red Cross society was first launch
ed. it provided that the society should
act i'm conjunction with the military
and be part of the machine of war, as
distinctly n deliberately organized as
any branch of the service, differing
only i'm the particular that while 1t
was the business of the rest OF the
army to make wounds IL was the bust
ness OF the Red Cross to carry the in
jured to a place of safety. and there
bind up the wounds. mend the broken
limbs. and nurse back to life and hope
those who fall in the fight.
The first formal international con-
ference TO ratify the plans agreed upon
at the previous gathering, was held in
October, 1863, and the ina convention
L. .-.. NAIN L., A 49, hal 80
mercy, the Red Cross, was agreed upon
as the insignia of the servants Of the
society and the protection of the ma
tons accorded, by International agree
ment, to any ambulance, hospital. med
ical attendance. or nurse forming part
! of the machinery Of the organization.
1t may not be generally known that
the choosing of the emblem of the Red
Cross society was a delicate compli-
ment to the country in which the con-
ferences were held. The Swiss flag is
q white cross in a red field, and in
choosing the flag the conferees at the
| Geneva convention merely reversed the
colUrs.
The various nations recognize each
their own branch OF the Red Cross, but
the society is a-malgamated as a whole
through the medium of the interna-
tional committee located at Geneva
Switzerland. All questions Of great
international Importance are settled
through this central committee, al
though each national branch of the or
der has the right to collect funds and
carry on the minor details of the work
in any manner that il thought best.
These details were given by Miss
Barton very readily. They related tc
the great general work of the mercy
society. OF her own share in the self
sacrificing mission Of The Red Cross
she was not 80 ready TO talk. Will
Miss Barton the #ark is Red Cross
work All she $3.50 I'd say Of our
work. was: 1t Includes Is fields oi
disaster in as many years. Floods
famlnes, fires, epidemics and storms
have caused the suffering. and more
than 81, 900, 900 have been applied in
the aggregate, by the willing hands OF
those who have volunteered in behalf
Of the great cause of humanity"
Apart from the information obtained
through Miss Clara Barton, there is
much to be said about the history OF
the convention that led to the Red
Cross society's formation, and many
interesting facts about it, work or
other humane missions than that oi
aiding the wounded in battle. lndi'
rectly the Red Cross came INTO being
as the result of the efforts OF half q
dozen Swiss gentlemen, notable among
whom were NJ. Henri Dunant, Gus
tave Moynier. Or. Appla. and. later
General Dufour. 1t has been justly re,
marked that it was an enterprise prob.
ably without precedent in the history
of the world, that a few private citi.
gems of one Of the least important Of
European states should nave conceiy,
ed. and carried out. the idea OF conven.
ing the powers of Europe in congress