The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-02-23
MISS CLARA BARTON
TELLS OF RED CROSS

! Sanitary Commission, TO introduce tho
! Red Cross Society in America after he
! had become acqua inted with it n Paris
/ At the close OF the war the people OF
/ America were worn out with their efforts
| TO care for their wounded. They hoped
! never to have another civil war. They
| could not DE made enthusiastic on this
| subject.
President Garfield Acted.
Miss Barton went abroad and worked
/ with the Red Cross through the Franco
! German war. In 1877 she began working
| to secure the admission of America into
| the Red Cross Society. Legislatures had
to be reached; the people had to be
/ awakened.
! Then" she said, Il began filling the
waste baskets with literature on the sub
| jet
Finally President Garfield took the mat
ter up, and America was thirty third
among the nations of earth to come into
the Geneva convention; not a very glo
rious record for a progressive country.
the speaker thought. The American peo-
pie at large knew and cared very little
about il. though bonfires were lighted
in Europe to celebrate the event
1T had she said again with a touch Of
sarcasm. mo political Importance, no diff
ference of opinion. no petty scandals Only
the little circle of those interested" here
she bowed to Mr.. Hicks. where he sat az
her left, knew what it was all about
The army had to be instructed. the Oh
hospital flag OF yellow changed TO the red
: cross, and military matters brought into
line with the new regime. 1t was no small
labor. hut I think We would not change
back today.
But there was no war: there were no
soldiers: the treaty might rust out for lack
of use. However. we have great disasters,
usually relieved by the Government in
those days. TIE peoDle's help was called
to the national need. In 1852 America stood
alone among the Red Cross treaty nations
with the official privilege of rendering aid
in cases OF great national calamity. Jap
plausel
Achieves Its Purpose.
But lid the Rcd Cross Society of Amer
lea ever come to its legitimate use?
When the bugles called the people to arms
three short years ago the reality came
home to the American people, and each
mother asked, Is this war? Is this some
thing more tan a parade of the National
Guard?'
Two hundred thousand gray haired vet
Grams said. The boys must take their
chances. as we did forty years ago. But
has there been no advance in forty years?
Ask the soldiers in the hospitals at San
Juan, ask the men who come into San
Francisco from the Philippines, if the flag
that floats over that hospital means any
thing to them
Did the little society OF nineteen years
ago miscalculate? Some day. perhaps
there will be no war, but that time is not
yet"
Miss Barton then spoke of the aid rem
dered by the society at the time of the
Galveston flood, and continued
No Government Aid.
The Government was formerly asked
to render this aid in the form OF an ap-
preparation. nut since the formation of
the society We have not asked the GaS-
eminent for one cent. and no approp:ia-
tons have been needed. Have We saved
the Government anything?
The American society enables the
people to render aid both in civil and
Inilitary necessity. and that is a thing
which no ether ration has yet done
Miss Barton took her seat anil pro-
longcd cheering. and was obliged to rise