The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-20

FOR THE ARMY lind NAVY
Morristown's Naval Hospital Aid
and Red Cross.

Noble Women of the city Promptly Or
ganize Two Effective AuxiIiaries for the
Care. Relief and Comfort OF the Sick
and wounded at tho Front.
A general meeting for all women in
terested in Red Cross Relief Work will
be held in the G.. A. r. rooms on Thurs
day, May Goth. at p. m. Mrs. Lesser,
Sister-in- Chief, Red Cross Hospital, will
be present to explain the work needed in
the present crisis, All are cordially inz
vited to attend.
A committee known as the Morristown
Auxiliary Committee of the American
National Red Cross Relief Committee
has been organized in this city with the
following officers: Chairman, Miss
Louisa E. Keasbey; secretary, Miss
Alice D. Field; treasurer, Miss Sarah r.
Randolph. This committee has been au-
thorized by the Committee on Auxiliar
les, and works under the direction of the
Red Cross Relief Committee.
History OF the International Red Cross.
In 1859 Monsieur Henri Dunant, a
Swiss gentlemen, travelling in Italy,
chanced to witness the terrific battle of
Solferino, and was SO impressed with the
suffering of the soldiers from lack of
suitable care that upon his return home
he published little volume entitled
Souvenir de Solferino, advocating that
measures be taken by all nations to miti-
gate the needless cruelty incident to war.
He presented his views to the Committee
of Public Utility of Switzerland, which
body was SO impressed with the sound
ness of his argument that it issued an in
yitation to the uatas of the world to
meet in consultation regarding the best
methods to be adopted for the ameliora-
tion of the condition of the sick and
wounded soldiers at the field.
The first convention under that call
was held at Geneva, Switzerland, in
August, 1864, when sixteen of the lead
ing nations signed compact to that end,
known as the Treaty of Geneva, or the
Red Cross. Since that time the number
has increased to forty, comprising all the
civilized nations.
1t was found necessary by the condi-
tions of the treaty TO have an emblem, or
insignia, by which those who were to at
tend the soldiers on the battlefield should
be recognized and remain unmolested in
the work. Through laudable desire to
honor Switzerland, the little republic
which called the convention, her flag,
white cross on red field, with the colors
reversed, was adopted.
This insignia became of such impor-
tance as to have practically given the
name to the treaty, and is almost
universally known as the emblem of
humanity and neutrality in war. 1t is
to-day the only military hospital flag in
the civilized world, protecting all per-
sons who work under it, or rightfully
wear the emblem, from molestation in
their humane service.
The American National Red Cross.
Through the efforts of Miss Clara
Barton, who had served throughout our
own civil war in the hospitals and on the
battlefields, and later in the Franco
Prussian war, the United States govern
ment accepted the international treaty in
1882. Miss Barton was made the first
president of the American National Red
Cross and still holds that Office.
The main object of the Red Cross was
relief in war, but in the formation of the
Constitution of the American National
Red Cross a wider range of activities
was adopted. It was hoped that we
should have no actual war, but we had
wars of the elements and disasters of
fearful magnitude, and relief of such
calamities was added to relief of war.
Other nations, seeing the usefulness of
the "American Amendment, as it is
called, are following our example and
adding it to their constitutions. It is
through that provision that relief has
been afforded during the past seventeen
years in the following named disasters:
The forest fires of Michigan in 1881,
the overflow of the Mississippi in 1882,
the overflow of the Ohio in 1888, the
Mississippi cyclone in 1888, the Ohio and
Mississippi flood in 1888. the Texas
famine in 1885, the Charleston earth
quake in 1885, the Mount Vernon qll.l
cyclone in 1887, the yellow fever epidemic
| in Florida in 1888, the Johnstown food
| in 1889, the Russian famine in 1s91-92,
the Pomeroy Qowa) cyclone in 1892, the
hurricane and tidal wave of the Sea
Islands of South Carolina in 1893-94. the
relief to the persecuted Armenians in
| 1896, and now, 1898, caring for the suf-
fering Cuban.
The time occupied in the relief Of these