The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-16

are protected and held sacred 10 tHelF use. Conveys of wounded, or prisoners in exchange, are safely protected in transit, and cannot be harmed without the breaking of an international treaty and all the serious consequences that would follow. Another of it's provt- sions is that persons residing in the vi=- cinity of battle about to take place shall be notified by the generals com manding both armies and full protec- tion, with a guard assured each house which shall open it's doors to the care of the wounded of either army. Thus every house becomes furnished field hospital and it's inmates nurses. Each nation, upon it's accession to the treaty, establishes national committee, through which it will act international ly in it's various relation.
 This corporate body adopts a consti- tuition, in the formation of which it seeks the best methods for serving hu- manity in general, together with inter- ests of it's own people. At first no na- tional constitution covered more than 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 con- tinually menaced by battle, the United States is comparatively exempt from such danger, by reason of geographical and political situation; therefore she also wisely provided for calamities from fire, floods, famine and pestilence, drought, earthquake and tornado. Since then forty odd nations, including Japan and Turkey, have adopted what is known as the American amend ment." Switzerland, the mother coun- try of the Red Cross order, is it's 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 a government has signed the Treaty of Geneva, it's first act has been to form a national central society. Each of these societies are independ- ent, and makes it's own regulations, except as it owes allegiance to the h. ternational society of Switzerland in a | few fundamental principles essential to unity of direction. In each country auxiliary societies are formed to CO., l operate with it's central society. In Europe the central society is under the I patronage of men and women of rank, | often members of royal families; in America, Miss Clara Barton--than whom a nobler woman was never born is the head, front and chief worker. | Germany took the Red Cross to her l heart from the first; France threw her self with ardor into the good work; and even the "unspeakable Turk has closely followed it's precepts. During l the first ten years of it's existence the l Red Cross was a prominent factor in I five great wars, and in every subse- quent campaign has proved it's incalcu- | liable usefulness. The treaty has tri- umphantly stood every test to which it has been put. The France German war, of 70 and '71, furnished the first l opportunity for it's practical applica- 1 tion. Both nations were in the com pact and there was perfect accord be- l tween the military and the Red Cross l relief. No hospital nor medical work was afforded on either side, except through and under the treaty of Gene l va. The Red Cross brassard shown on | the arm of every agent of relief, from the medical director at the headquar- | ters of the king, to the boy carrying water to his wounded lieutenant; from the noble Empress Agusta and her | court, and poor Eugenia while she had court, to the tired nurse in the way side tent. (Agusta, grandmother of the present emperor, was the head of the first Red Cross society formed in Germany, and to-day her granddaugh- ter, the Grand Duchess Louise, of Ba- den, fills the position) Says Miss Bar ton: "No record of needless cruelty to sick and wounded soldiers stain the annals of that war. I walked it's hos pitals by day and night. I served in it's camps. marched with it's men, and I know whereof I speak The German and the Frenchman the Italian, the Arab, the Turk and the Tonave were gathered tenderly alike, and lay side by side in the Red Cross Palace Hos pital 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 entirely to Miss Barton. When our civil war began she was young lady
 of wealth, spending some time in
 Washington. At the first news that northern troops, en route to the capi- tai, had been fired upon in Baltimore, she, with several others, volunteered to go and care for the wounded. That day her life-work opened. Therefore
 she was found in the hospitals, and soon came to be recognized as @ nurse
 of uncommon ability In her quiet,
 seIf-contained way, she went unchal- lenged wherever soldiers needed at- 1 tendance. She met the wounded as
 they poured in from Virginia and took
 care of them in camp and field. Milf
 tary trains were at her service. She
 was present at the battle of Cedar | Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam
 and Fredericksburg; was eight months at the siege of Charleston, at Fort l Wagner, in front of Petersburg and in the Wilderness; also in the hospitals
 near Richmond, and on Morris Island
 When the war ended her labors were not over In obedience to the most ten
 der of human sympathies, she re- mained many weeks at Andersonville
 engaged in the herculean task of mark
 ing as many as possible of the graves
 of the thirteen thousand Union prison CTS there buried. Then her health
 broke down completely and her physi-
 clans ordered her to Europe. Before
 she was half recuperated the France
 pr11ccion war broke ont and she imme-