Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-11

unless authorized by a belligerent has @
right to wear the Red Cross badge. There
! is, however, no penalty attached to tho
1 abuse of 1t, so that every one connected
in the remotest way with the hospital
service acts as though he were entitled
| to its protection. 1t is used indifferentiy
1 by the makers of invalid foods surgical
material and appliances, and patent pills
| In nearly all countries which are parties
| to the treaty there are voluntary
| aid societies. Most, but not all, of them
| work under the title as well as the badge
| or the Red Cross. In the United King
| dom the association is known by the
| name Of the National Aid Society, whilst
In France It is styled the Societs de
Secours aux Blesses. In time OF peace
the British society is dormant in this it
differs materially from the Continental
societies, for they are specially notice
abo for the elaborate preparations
which they make. In Holland, instruc-
ton in nursing is given to those who
desire It and are willing to serve under
the Red Cross.
Aiding the wounded Is often supple
mented by the relief of the inhabitants
OF q country in a state OF war, and by
other forms OF charity. The French So
ciety after the war of 1870, erected head
died in captivity. One hundred and
seventy cemeteries in Germany bear evil
dence Of this pious care.
IDENTIFYING THE DEAD.
At the close of our civil war, Miss Bar
ton, at the request OF President Lincoln.
undertook the task OF tracing the miss
ing. Out of the 1900 soldiers In their
graves she succeeded IN identifying all
al ha f,,I
altogether in investigating the fate of
900 men, living or dead. During four
years she devoted herself to this task.
meeting many of the charges from her
own purse. The government decreed the
reimbursement OF this money, but she
declined to accept 1t. This was after nos
,ilities had ceased. When the struggle
was in progress Miss Barton was ac-
lively engaged in alleviating the horrors
which ensued. Her services and those
Of many other devoted men and women
We're. however. poweress to save, even
10 help. on many a bloody field
Medical military authorities have urged,
with professional exclusiveness, that the
service of the Red Cross should be avail
able only in time OF war. But it would
be difficult to prove that the soldier
would suffer because the societies were
lean branches have taken this view. The
flooding Of the Mississippi Valley gave
them one opportunity. the conhagration
Michigan another. The Russian Society
distributed 100000 francs during the ia
mine.
The outbreak Of the Franco-German
war may be said TO have cemented once
and for all the Convention of Geneva
and to have made II impossible for any
civilized nation 10 lapse from it's humane
Yet IL proved again and again
Low utterly inadequate are the resources
Of the highest and best directed phlan-
thropy TO cope with the horrors of war
This is no fault OF the Red Cross; IL is
part OF the brutal method Of national |
strife. At Gravelotte the helpers came |
too lste on the field of Sultz the wound |
ed lay for three days; they bled to death |
or persisted of cold and hunger.
The groan, the roll in dust, the all-white |
eye
Turned black within its socket-these re-
ward
Your rank and file by thousands, while |
the rest
May win. perhaps. a ribbon at the breast. |
HOSPITAL TRAINS.
Hospital trains, specially fitted for the |
carriage OF the sick and wounded. were |
established. The French equipped seven |
teen flying ambulances which took the |
field with the troops up TO the disastrous
day Of Sedan. When Paris was besieged |
accompanied the garrison In
It's sortiss, whilst FIVE large fixed hospi-
tails were established within the city.
When Paris capitulated thousands OF |
men were removed 10 the pro-
vinces. This war emphasized the interna-
tional character Of the Red Cross. Swe-
den, Norway. Spain, Italy, and Switzer-
land furnished, through the medium OF |
the Genevan Committee, $4,000 in money. |
and sent stores TO the value Of as much |
more This committee published lists OF |
the wounded Frenchmen in Germany and |
the German prisoners in France. 1t CON
Quoted correspondence on their behalf |
with their relatives. and dealt in this way
with remittances amounting to more than
800 600. The British society contributed
3, 200, 900 and 1900 cases of stores towards
aiding the wounded. A telegram was for
warded 20 London for $50 BEDS within
hours they had arrived a
their destination. British regiments and
British crews imposed levies upon them
selves TO supply funds. The colonies con
.ributed Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Bel
GUM assisted either in money or kind,
)ften in both. Switzerland, TO her ever
asting glory gave food and shelter to a
French army Of 5000 men-5,o00 OF whom
sere sick and wounded. the rest broken
With hunger, cold, and disease. Russia
md Switzerland placed their military sur
icons at the disposal OF the belligerents
md medical aid was freely offered by
england and other countries.
FAMINE STRICKEN PARIS.
When Paris was famine stricken the
ocieties came to her aid. Mr.. Forbes
ne famous correspondent, relates how,
pom the entry Of the Germans into
'aris, he was mistaken for a spy by the
'rench populace. He was mobbed and
ragged through the gutter. He eyentI-
lily succeeded in establishing his Identity
efore a magistrate. The mob outside
aited for him, and he would have had
hort shrift but for the magistrates sis
r. who guided him by back street 10
is hotel. He did not know how TO thank
err. and told her so. oh" she broke
|. "tbat Is not difficult, / will put my
ride in my pocket" She explained that
er brother had received no salary for
X months! They were gentlefolk. they
,uld not Join in the queue outside the
,kers' shops. Yet, mon Dieul they |
era actually starving. And the poor
oman burst into tears. II hurried the
DIV into a room in which there was no
"a 70 remark her emotion" said Mr..
orbe.. then found John Furley. Fur
y was a. man OF energy. In five
inutes a hamper had been packed. She
ma into the hall. looked down on the
2 hamper. whose open mouth disclosed
leg Of mutton, couple Of fowls, huge
nest loaf, and sundry vegetables; then