The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-16

safe the relief corps going to their res.
cue. nor will an ambulance, picking
Its way among the dead and dying. risk
being fired on by the yIctors who hold
the Held. jt fiEf s,S{i Z
In The ilrst place, tho treaty neutral.
LEES all parties In their efforts at relief,
and brings to the aid OF the medical and
hospital departments OF armies the d.
rect, organized and protected help OF the
people. BY It's international code, nil
military hospitals under Its flag can
neither be attacked nor captured. and
all the sick and wounded within them
remain absolutely unriolested. Sur
geons. nurses, chaplnins, attendants,
and all non. eombatants at q field. wenr-
Ing the enslgna Of the Red Cross, are
protected from capture or Interference
with their work: wounded prisoners,
lylngon acapturedneld, are delivered To
their own army, II desired. All supplies
designed for the sick or wounded OF
either army and bearing the sign OF the
Red Cross. are protected and held sa-
cred to their use. Conveys OF wounded,
or prisoners In exchange, arc safely pro-
tected In transit. and cannot be harmed
without the breaking of mn International
trenty and all the serious consequences
that would follow. Another OF Its pro-
visions Is that persons residing In tho
vicinity OF battle about to take place
shall be notified by the generals COM
mandlnE both armies, and full protec-
ton, with u guard assured each house
which shall open its doors to the care
OF the wounded of either army. Thus
every house becomes furnished field
hospital and Its inmates nurses. Each
nation, upon. Its accession to the treaty,
establishes national committee,
through which 1t will act internationally
In Its various relations. SIS.
This corporate body adopts n consti-
tuition. In the formation OF which II
seeks the best methods for serving HUI
manlty In general, together with inter-
ests OF its own people. At first no IA
tonal constitution covered more that
the direct ground OF the treaty-viz, the
prevention and relief OF suffering by
war. The founders Of the Red Cross Of
America foresaw that the great woes
would not be by warfare. While the Old
World countries are continually men,
aced by battle. tho United States is
comparatively exempt from such dan
ger, BY reason OF geographical and po-
litlcal situation: therefore she also
wisely provided for calamities from fire,
floods, famine and pestilerce. drought,
earthquake and tornado. Since then the
forty odd nations. including Japan and
Turkey, have adopted what Is known
as the american amendment" Switz-
erlald, the mother country OF the Red
Cross Order. Is Its head center. The
Swiss society, being the only one that
Is international occupies itself with the
general interest Of its branches and
carries on correspondence with them In
all languages.
After q government has signed the
treaty of Geneva, Its first act has been
to form national central society. Each
of these societies are independent and
makes It's own regulations, except as It
owes allegiance to the International
Society OF Switzerland in q few funda-
mental principles essential to unity OF
direction. In each country. auxiliary
societies are formed to cooperate with
Its central society. In Europe the Gen.
trail Society is under the patronage Of
men and women OF rank, often members
of royal families; In America, Miss
man was never bocn-is the head. front
and chief worker. Germany took the
Red Cross to her heart from the first;
France threw herself with ardor into
the good work: and even the "un-
speakable Turk" has closely followed
Its precepts. During the first ten years
OF its existence the Red Cross was
prominent factor in five great wars, and
IN SnhCpnnhpf mr. ny
proved Its incalculable usefulness. The
treaty has tr!umphantly stood every
test to which It has been put. The
Franco-Prussian war, OF 10 and II. fur
nished the first opportunity for It's
practical application. Both nations
were In the compact, and there was
perfect accord between the military and
the Red Cross relief. No hospital nor
medical work was afforded on either
side. except through and under the
treaty of Geneva. The Red Cross bras
sard shown on the arm of every agent
of relief from the medical director at
the headquarters OF the king, TO the
boy carrying water to his wounded
lieutenant: from the noble Empress Au-
gusta and her court, and poor Eugenla
while she had a court, 20 the tired nurse
in the wayslde tent, augusta, grand
mother of the present emperor, was the
head of the first Red Cross Society
formed In Germany, and to-day her
granddaughter, the Grand Duchess
Louise, OF Baden. fills the post!on)
Says Miss Barton: mo record CT need
less cruelty to, sick and wounded SOL
diers stain the annals of that war
walked Its hospitals by day and night.
served in its camps; marched with
its men, and know whereof I speak.
The German. the Frenchman. the Ital-
ian, the Arab. the Turks and the Ton
ave were gathered tenderly alike, and
lay side by side In the Red Cross Pal
ace Hospital of Germany"
The United States did not accept the
International treaty of the Red Cross
until eighteen years after.it was first
presented to our government; and that
we finally came into the fold is due en-.
tirely to Miss Barton. When our civil
war began, she was young lady Of
wealth, spending some time in Wash
ington. At the first news that north
ern' troops. enroute 10 the capital, had
been fired upon In Baltimore. she, with
several others, volunteered TO go and
care for the wounded. That day her
life-work opened. Thereafter she was
found In the hospitals, and soon came
to be recognized as nurse OF uncom-
mon ability. In her quiet. self-con-
tanned way, she went unchallenged
wherever soldiers needed attendance.
She met the wounded as they poured
In from Virginia and took care of them
In camp and field. Military trains were
at her service. She was present at
the battle OF Cedar Mountain, Second
Rull Run 4 ntnitnrn md ErelnrickS-