The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-03-21

500 to 500 day for two months, re-
gardless of friend or foe.
In 1870 under Napoleon III. France
marched to its eastern borders, while
Germany watched the Rhine. Both
were leading Red Cross nations. The
German Red Cross, like its army, was
ready. Its central committee received
and applied $10,000,uOO as an aid to
the medical department of the army.
The Red Cross of France, like its
army, was not ready, and yet its alac.
rity surprised the world. In one month
France raised and equipped II mov-
able field hospitals, which were sent
to the army and went with it to Sedan.
During the siege and commune at
Paris a vast number of sick and
wounded soldiers had been massed
together and the famine of the last
days of the siege rendered their con.
dition pitiable beyond description. The
Red Cross, by full approval of the
Prussian authorities, removed 10000
of these and brought back 5000 pris-
oners from Germany. l speak of these
from personal observation and partic.
ipation.
In July, 1876, Servia and Montenegro
entered Turkey. All were in the
treaty. The Turkish officials, intelli-
gent and educated, understood the
origin of the Red Cross and respected
it, but prudently feared to place a
cross in the sight of their ignorant,
fanatical soldiery, and the Red CreS.
cent was substituted, which remains
until to-day. In 1877 Russia came
down and crossed the Danube. Plev.
ma tells its terrible tale. The Servian
Red Cross, young and poor, estab.
hshed its wonderful hospital at Bel.
grade and Roumania nursed 1,042
wounded Turks. Fifteen million dol.
lars in Red Cross relief was spent by
Russia alone.
The Japanese are one of the most
advanced Red Cross nations, the EN-.
peror being the active head of the cen.
trail society. Their work for the relief
of suffering during the late war with
Russia aroused the wonder and ad.
miration of the world
OF civil wars there has been no
end. Italy had its Garibaldian and
papal war. Spain had it's Carlist war.
Russia led it's armies to the region OF
Persia and its Red Cross sent 1T per.
sons after them, who followed the ad.
vanced guard, six being wounded and
IL killed.
The Dutch established its Red Cross
in the Malay war in 1878. Bolivia and
Peru entered the treaty during their
civil wars of 1879 to 1881.
In the early Transvaal war the
Beers, without being in the treaty,
lived up to it's highest precepts.
Civil wars are usually considered
the most cruel and yet, singularly, the
Carlist war in Spain was said to have
been exempt from cruelties; doctors
and nurses were respected, prisoners
were well treated and even the wound.
ed insurgents were set at liberty at
Pampeluna. Spain has always regard
ed its Red Cross and even in the
height of the Spanish-American war
sent its official testimonial of regard
to the president of the Red Cross of
America.
1t will be recalled that although Of
ficially invited to every conference the
United States was too sadly occupied
to give attention to anything out tide
itself, until the close of our civil war;
Then it was too worn, tired and glad
of the end of war to ever want to hear
of it again. Thus it happened that
when DR.. Henry W. Bellows, the great
apostle of war relief, and president
of our sanitary commission, having
come in contact with the Red Cross at
the Paris exposition in 1868, and per-
ceiving it's great utility, undertook to
interest the American people and in
duce the government to unite with the
treaty and actually formed society,
failed both with government and peO-
pie, was compelled to abandon his So
ciety and relinquish his efforts. For
eign nations regretted this and con-
tinued their efforts to interest Amer
lea. At length, in 1877, second effort
was made, during the administration
of President Hayes, and continued sue
cussively through term Of five years.
In 1882, during the administration Of
President Arthur, following out the
expressed desires of his lamented
predecessor, Garfield, and the advices
of his cabinet, the treaty was adopted
by our government
We had no wars, no battlefields to
attract their sympathy and help, but
we had great disasters constantly oc-
curing, as pitiable oftentimes as a
battle, and then it was our custom to
call upon the government to give re-
lief through appropriations from the
treasury. Here was a legitimate op.
portunity to apply the first great prin-
ciples OF the Red Cross, namely, "peo-
pies help for national need" To TINS
opportunity the perplexed committee
turned and on presenting the treaty
for acceptance it prayed the ratifying
powers at Bern to accept the United
States, with the privilege of relieving
in great national calamities, other
than war, confining its operations to
disasters beyond local relief and re.
quiring governmental aid. The COM
mittee frankly gave it's reasons. admit
ting that it was an innovation. Still,
the request was kindly considered and
granted. Thus in 1882 America stood
alone among the Red Cross treaty ma.
tions with the official privilege of rem
dering aid in great calamities in civil
life.
America has double responsibility.
It's Red Cross is >twofold-civil and
oIl .1noitirootn both