Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-19
DEsEREr EVENING NEWS. SATURDAY, MARCH 49, IS

protected from capture or interference
with their work, wounded prisoners.
lying on a captured field are delivered
TO their own army. II desired. All sup
plies designed for the sick or wounded
Of either army and bearing the sign of
the Red Cross, are protected and held
sacred to their use. Conveys of wound
ed, or prisoners Ia exchange, are safely
protected in transit, and cannot be
harmed without the breaking OF an in
ternational treaty and all the serious
consequences that would follow. An
other OF its provisions Is that persons
residing in the vicinity of battle about
to take place shall be notified by the
generals commanding both armies and
fun protection, with guard assured
each house, which shall open its doors
to the care OF the wounded, of either
army. Thus every house becomes a
furnished field hospital and it's in
| mates nurses. Each nation, upon It's
accession TO the treaty. establishes a
national committee. through which 1t
viii act internationally in its various
relations.
This corporate body adopts consti-
tuition, In the formation of which 1t
seeks the best methods for serving hui
manity In general, together with inter-
ests of It's own people. At first no ma
tional constitution covered more than
tho direct ground OF the treaty. viz.
by war. The founders of the Red
Cross of America foresaw that
the great woes would not be by war.
nrc. While the Old World countries
are continually menaced by battle, the
| Ifunlted States is comparatively ex-
empt from such danger, by reason of
geographical and political situation:
| therefore she also wisely provided for
calamities from fire. floods. famine and
pestience, drought, earthquake and
tornado. Since then the forty odd ma
! lions including Japan and Turkey,
have adopted what is known as the
american amendment" Switzerland.
the mother country of the Red Cross
order Is It's head center. The Swiss
society being the only one that is in
ternational occupies itself with the
general interest of its branches and
carries on correspondence with them
in all languages.
After government has signed the
| Treaty OF Geneva. its first act has
been to form n national central society.
Each of these societies are independ-
| ent, and makes its own regulations,
except as It owes allegiance to the In
ternational society of Switzerland in a
few fundamental principles essential to
unity of direction. In each country,
auxiliary societies are formed to CO.
\ operate with its central society. In
! Europe the Central society Is under the
| patronage of men and women of rank.
often members of royal families; in
! America, Miss Clara BGrton-than
whom a nobler woman was never born
is the head, front and chief worker.
| Germany took the Red Cross to her
heart from the first France threw her
| self with ardor into the good work; and
| even the "unspcakable Turk has
closely followed its precepts. During
the first ten years of its existence the
Red Cross was n prominent factor in
five great wars. and in every subse-
quent campaign has proved its meal
culable usefulness. The treaty has
triumphantly stood every test to which
1t has been put. The France German
war of 1870 and 1871. furnished the
| first opportunity for its practical APP
plication. Both nations We're 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 Ge-
neva- The Red Cross brassard shown
| on the arm of every agent of relief.
| from the medical director at the head
| quarters of the king to the boy carry
| ing water to his wounded lieutenant;
from the noble Empress Augusta and
| her court, and poor Eugenia while she
had court, to the tired nurse in the
wayside tent. augusta. grandmother
of the present emperor. was the head
| of the first Red Cross society formed
J In Germany, and today her grand