The Washington herald., 1909-01-05
WASHINGTON CHAT.
By THE SPECTATOR.

0
Americans. II IS the institution before
I'll others that shows the progress q
Civilization. and It is good 70 live IL an
age when such an organization - possible,
+ Lately It has taken a new impetus and
under young and enthusiastic directors
lis increasing its field OF usefulness. adding
! TO its revenues, and 50 furthering its
power for good. But whatever the Red
Cross accompIishes under the compare
lively new management, # must not be
/ forgotten that Clara Barton was It's
mother and that through her devotion
and faithfulness the American branch OF
the society was founded and has been
maintained
/ The exact character Of the Red Cross
I is generally misunderstood Il is looked
/ upon as a local organization, while II Is
+ in fact a treaty between many powers
Including Great Britain. Germany, France
/ Belgiunfs Russia and other governments
numbering some forty IN ali. which binds
I its slgners 70 regard all sick or wounded
| persons in time OF war as neutral and to
care for each others disabled and
wounded soldiers no matter 70 what army
/ they may belong This treaty was the
direct work Of the Geneva Society Of
/ Public Utility, which conceived. de-
velOped. and formed the famous treaty.
/ but II Is 10 Henry Dunant Of that society,
who had witnessed the terrible and need
I less suffering In the battle Of Solferino
/ in 1883. 10 whom the greatest credit be-
longs. With the memory Of that dread
/ ful battlefield ever before him, Mr.
/ Dunant worked with ceaseless zeal for
{ the establishment OF an institution that
would be considered neutral IN time Of
war and whose agents could work pro
tected By its own flag among the sick
and dying on the battlehelds The Red
I Cross was the result and the articles
+ forming Il were signed in Geneva. in 1854
/ It's first practical work was in the war
/ between Germany. Austria. and Italy in
/ 1850. and since then IL has played e con-
4 isDicUous part in every war. but il does
: not confne its work to war times. II
treaches suffering humanity everywhere
/ in 1ss6 during that terrible riot Of blood
/ IN Armenia when thousands Of men,
women. and helpless children were de-
spoiled Of everything and wandered
about without a roof 70 cover them.
without proper clothing or food even.
every other organization had failed
through the eImity OF the government
I 10 reach the scene OF distress. but the
| National Red Cross. protected by its
treaty rights. vas able 70 carry. succor
I % the unhappy people. IN the Russian
/ famine. the American Red Cross was
nf T-=
/ and 70 distribute supplies. at the Johns
town foods the California firas- the
earthquake last year, and now in the
that Is the first on hand with practical
help and succor.
The moving spirit in the Red Cross
now IS Miss Mabel Boardman. the
/ daughter OF William J. Boardman. whose
other daughters are married-Josephine.
I 10 Senator Crane. OF Massachusetts. and
/ Florence. 70 Frederick A Keep The
Boardmans are one Of the vreaIthies.
families In Washington where they came
10 live about twenty years ago. building
for their winter home q handsome house
IN p street near Connecticut ave1ue
[ M = Alfl4 AlALlA MS DDEU L0-9lne
Sheffield. the daughter OF the wealthy
New Jersey family Of that name. one
Of her sisters married the late William
Walter Phelps. the other a aIr. Van
BUreu. who was consul general IN Tokyo
for many years and whose son was for
d long time in the consular service NJ
Van BUren's only daughter. Edith has
had q very romantic career. and is one
~ Ia
national marriage wherein the rich
American girl pays big bonus for a
title. In this case the fair Edith d.
vorced him. although she retained his
name. This Italian countess Is a strfk-
ing Cooking woman Of JUro-liEe proper
tons and with perfectly white hair.
Mabel BoardUan Is the exact anrithesis
of her cousin. the Countess Castelnou-
ardo- She IS q beautiful woman who has
enjoyed everything society has 10 offer
Both here and in Europe she has been
feted and favored. woOed and fatrered
and is easily the foremost among the
unmarried women a. the CapitaI TO-DAY
but her head is as level. her poise as
perfect as though she had not been q
belle OF several seasons. and IN the Iasr
few years she has devoted herself to
the Red Cross began al the time Clara
Barton was forced, through increasing
years. 20 relinqUish its direction. L is
rare that so much enthusiasm IS CON-
bined with such rare executive ability
and wise judgment as Miss BOardman
has shown since she became connected
with this institution. and it Is good news
10 al its well wishers that she VIII make
it her life work.
Speaking OF Clara Barton. she IS still
living az the age OF eighty-eight. and
makes her home at Glen Echo. near
Washington Miss Barton has rad a
singularly useful and interesting life. and
from the time she was sixteen has lived
for the good Of others. Possessed Of mar
yeloUs nervous strength and inexhaustibIe
energy. she burned her candle at both
ends, and accomplished an incalculabIe
amount Of work. With her education and
sympathies it was natural when the civil
war broke out that she should 80 to the
front. and she took her place there al
time when women were not permitted
that distinction, q place she did not re-
iinQuish until the end Of the struggle. She
was active in the field. active IN hospital
work, organizing and directing, training
other people to help. drumming I'd sup
plieS-dOing everything. in a word, that
streng. capable hands found to do. and
making a reputation for herself which is
known all over the world, and won her
the pseUd0nym Of the Angel Of the Bat
tlefielG." Her work subsequent TO the
war was as important as il had been
during the civil strife President Lincoln