The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-23
OUT AND ABOUT.

MIS- sew all lAttu Ql OOICIGSlG1,
who has known Clara Barton since the
battle of Chattanooga, was associated
with her in her ministrations at John
stown and in the Sea islands, and last
winter took charge of her desk IN
Washington while Miss Barton was in
Cuba, addressed the Womans Club
yesterday afternoon upon "The Red
Cross League The literary exercises,
which were under tAe auspices of the
work committee, Mrs. James S. Aborn
chairman, were fully attended, and
were unusually interesting.
Mrs. Reed said in opening her pa
per, that the name of Clara Barton
was synonymous with the Red Cross
League in the United States, and that
its history would be incomplete with
out it. Then she sketched the forma-
ton of the National Red Cross League
in substance as follows: Gin June, 1859,
a Swiss gentleman who was travelling
in Italy happened to be near the bat
tlefield Of Solferino at the time of the
battle, and was deeply impressed by
the sufferings and the poor sanitary
conditions which he found in the hos
pitfalls. He felt the matter SO keenly
that he afterward wrote little book
on it, which was translated into other
languages and widely read. Encouraged
by this success, he presented the sub
ject to the Society Of Public Utility of
Switzerland, in 1869, and during this
conference the Red Cross League was
born. 1t was 10 years after Florence
Nightingale had begun the work in the
Crimean hospitals. A committee of
five was appointed to lay the question
before the other nations, and in Octo-
Der of the same year a convention met
in Geneva, at which Is nations were
represented by 36 persons, of whom 10
were official representatives. All the
great powers, with the exception OF
Russia, were there. A treaty was
signed by these delegates, guarantee
ing the neutrality of wounded and sick
soldiers, hospitals and the persons and
effects of those employed in and about
them, and to the badge and flag of the
Red Cross.
Before coming to a close, the con-
ference decided to call an international
convention in 1864. At this convention
were adopted the nine articles which
still govern the league and constitute
what is known as the treaty Of Geneva.
Also, the flag and badge were adopted,
the latter being designed as a comph-
ment to Switzerland for her noble m
itiative in the cause of humanity. The
Swiss flag is a white Greek cross on a
red ground; the badge is d req Greek
cross on white ground.
To-day" said the speaker, all ma
tons except China, Brazil and Mexico,
have signed the treaty and have formed
branch societies. In Europe royalty
has supported the movement hand
somely. The old Kaiser Wilhelm added
the Red Cross badge to the iron cross,
and the Empress Augusta was at the
head of the Prussian branch society.
Her daughter is now filling the same
position. In Japan, which Joined the
treaty in 1886, the emperor has assumed
the presidency of the Japanese society,
while the empress heads the Woman's
department. During the Chinese-Jap-
AN war the Japanese hospitals We're
said to be the best in Asia: they We're
in charge of the nobility, who did a
beautiful work most heroically."
Continuing, Mrs. Reed said Thus
far the United States had no part in
the work. Proposals to join had been
made, but were disregarded, for at the
time we We're involved in the horrors
of our civil war and had not thought
for others. That we did join was due
to one noble, self sacrificing woman.
The name of Clara Barton had become
a. household word through the land
during the war. To recover her
strength, which had been sadly dim
inished by her eXertions, Miss Barton
went to Europe, and while there was
invited to work in the Franco-Prus-
sian war. Being in Geneva in 1859, she
was waited upon by some of the Red
Cross people, who wanted to know why
the United States held aloof from the
movement, when her tender care OF
her own soldiers had moved Europe to
admiration. Miss Barton replied that
the American people did not know
about the movement, but that they
should.
TT was several years before she
could undertake the work of informing
them, and when she did, in 1877, she
met with Indifference. Later, in the
presidency of Garfield. she essayed it
again, with the support of the president
and of Secretaries Wind0m and Blaine.
When Garfield was offered the presi-
dency Of the American Red Cross So
ciety, he gave the nomination to her. as
a. return for her services in the cause.
ITO meet the requirements of the
United States, an amendment, known
as the American amendment, was added
to the treaty, providing for the activity
| of the Red Cross society in times OF
great calamity, when people We're suf-
fering from foods, famine, pestilence
and so on. Other nations have adopted
this: Japan, for instance, expressly
stipulated that she would join under it
Thirty-one nations had signed the trea'
| ty before the United States consented
| to sign it, and three years after it was
| signed, no steps had been taken toward
making it effective. AT the presen,
time no restrictions are placed upor
| a name that should be distinctive, anC
there are Red Cross cough drops, Rec
lCross tobacco, Red Cross tomatoes, Rec
Cross whisky. 1 saw not long since al
advertisement in q street car. 1t rep
resented three young women with the
| Red Cross badge on their arms, eacI
holding a bottle of whisky. / thinl
some one protested, for l don't see j
now If they had not, should.
1.-The American Red Cross societ!
was Incorporated in 1881, under the law
of the District of Columbia, one yea
! before the treaty was signed. Sine
| then the society has done more gooC
than tongue can tell. 1t was at thu
Michigan fire in 1881, the Mississippi
flood in 'S2 I the Ohio flood inS3, tn,
Mississippi cyclone in "a, the Texa
famine i'm 's5; later it ministered to tn
needs of fhe unfortunate Johnstown il
80; in ;s3 it cared for the sufferers o
the Iowa cyclone. and for 10 months i
supported thousands of people In tn
Sea islands in 1894. In 1896 it caret
for the stricken Armenians and tn
amthe-stricken Russian peasants, Will
lasNyear it aided the reconcentrados il
Cupa, and our own soldiers"
N concluding this superb story, tn
sISeaker paid an enthusiastic tribute t.
TIE character and abilities of the pres
dent of the Red Cross society, 9TH
Florence Nightingale of America"
woman whom Senator Hoar called tn
lmost illustriGus citizen of Massachu
a sets, whom President Mckinley men
toned and thanked in his message h