The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-22
CLARA BARTON.
CENSURED BY ROOSEVELT AND
DEFENDED By W. P. PHILIPS.
The Red Cross and It's Wonderful
Achievement-History of the Amer
lean Organization-A Wom-
ans Mission and Work.

Bridgeport, Conn, March 16.-Wal
ter P. Phillips, for twenty years secre
tary of the Red Cross. has raised hi:
voice in protest against Presiden
| Roosevelt's recent action regarding the
society founded by Clara Barton, whom
he regards as a woman who has placed
new and striking imprint upon the
history of the human race He regards
Miss Barton as one of those persons
who is every now and again born into
the world for some specific purpose, and
compares her greatness with that of
Alexander, Hannibal. Napoleon, Well
lington, Susan B. Anthony, and a host
of others. Although he resigned his po-
sition one year ago, he says he owes it
to himself to defend a woman who is
being unjustly assailed. In a lengthy
paper he has prepared Mr.. Phillips tells
of the wonderful achievements of Clara
Barton.
Some twenty-five years ago when Mr..
Phillips was at. the head of the Asso-
ciated Press in Washington lady un-
known to him at the time asked, through
a mutual friend, for an audience with
him 1t was Miss Clara Barton.
'She came to my office and briefly
told me the story of the Red Cross from
its inception in Geneva down to that
time" says Mr.. Phillips in his article.
Even then every important nation on
the face of the earth had given its as
sent and become a party to the Geneva
treaty, with the solitary exception of the
United States. The matter had been re-
peatedly presented to our government,
but it had not appealed to Secretary
Seward, and his successors IN the state
department were reluctant to recon-
mend anything that had been eonsld-
cred and rejected by that alert and able
statesman. The latest attempt to secure
he adherence of the United States had
,een made by the Rev. Henry w Bel
ows. who had finally given TIP the con-
est against precedent and prejudice and
,ad written to Miss Barton that while
le wished her success in the held IN
which he had been defeated, he saw no
lope in the situation for her or anybody
lse. II
Miss Barton, whose services in the
Northern armies during the civil con-
ice are matters of such recent history
hat need not dwell upon them, had
one to Europe, in 1860, for much
eeded rest. ~. r.
DECORATED BY EMPEROR
WILLIAM. 3ee
with the breaking out OF the war
etween Germany and France she was
rged to attach herself to the army OF /
1e Grand Duke of Baden, and finally
omn1ied. Her services in that terrible I
,nfiict were such that she was deco /
tied by the old Emperor William with ls
le Order of the Iron Cross. No higher
ark of distinction can possibly be con- I
,rred by any ruler upon an individual.
ssIn this war Miss Barton gained a
rect and comprehensive knowledge OF a
e operations of the Red Cross. She t
W with her own eyes what could be d
by an organized force on T
e battlefield, in the hospital and in the
mp. Her opportunities were unrlvaled :,
r. contrastin the methods of the Red :
ross Society with the imperfect work, =
eat as it was, accomplished by the .
lnitary and Christian Commissions
ring the sonber days between the ;,
ne when the first hostile shot was fired :,
d Sumter quickly fell and the happy {
Y for both North and South when :,
neral Lee surrendered his army at +
,pon1attox to General Grant. She re- .
rned to America in due course deter =
ned to secure the adoption of the :.
d Cross treaty by the United State :,
en- if it cost her her hearts blood and .,
ery dollar of the comfortable fortune i
{ possessed This was the situation :.
len she came to me and told me what :
been done by others and particu- -
" by DR.. Bellows, and how every :,
ieavor, no matter how well directed, :,
how assiduously sustained, had end =,
in absolute and unequivocal failure, -
Id invited my cooperation. :,
GOVERNMENT ADOPTS RED CT
CROSS. he
Just before President Garfield was re
t, in 1881, Mr. Blaine, then his secre- OF
7 of state, told Miss Barton, as the or
come Of many exhaustive discussions M
Ween them, that the musty precedents "
the state department did not neces- WI
lly bind him in any way and that he tn
eyed in fhe Red Cross treaty c1,fI61 ~;