The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-02
Founder Of the Red Cross.

An interesting old man died in the
hCspice at Appenzell, Switzerland, Sun
day night, well off in the goods Of the
world after having been a pauper and
before that a rich man. But riches
were only means to an end with Jean
Henri DurRnt, the founder OF the Red
Cross. Winner Of the Nobel peace prize,
humanitarian, helpless paralytic and au-
thor OF "Un Souvenir de SolferinoP 1t
was this book the outpouring of heart
torn by the bloody sights Of the most
desperate field of the war between Aus
tria and France and Sardinia, that set
the world to thinking Of Durant's idea
to meliorate human suffering, an idea
inspired BY the noble work Of Florence
Nightingale in the war hospitals Of the
Crimea. Durant was born in Switzer-
land in 1928, the son of French HUI
guenots, who fled to the little republic
to avoid prosecution. They were we'll
to-do family, important in educational
and governmental activities, and at an
early age the lad began to take inter
est in the good Of his fellows He sought
to form an international society Of "a
marit0ns He did not meet with much
success. Later he travelled through the
Mediterranean countries and spent his
time in writing photographic monographs
from the material he found Also he
wrote a volume directed against slavery
ia this country, When Napoleon start
el to free Italy from the Alps to the
Adriatic" Durant decided to emulate the
example Of Miss Nightingale, fitted ont
a small corps of surgeons and nurses
and started for the front. The carnage
at Solferina proved how inadequate his
preparations were, the terrors Of the
battlefield photographed themselves on
his mind, and he wrote his book His
dream was to make the wounded and
their helpers nou-combatants by inter-
national law. Hardly had the war closed
before Napoleon III and MacMahon
granted him audiences to explain his
ideas, He undertook to make a journey
to the courts of Europe. at his own ex-
pense, and explain his plan and get aid
He was greeted with derision by some,
Others lent willing ears. Then the So
ciety Of public utility, local organiza-
ton at Geneva, consented 70 take up
tine matter, and came to the conclusion
that results could only be obtained by
international discussion Fourteen gov
ernments were represented az the CON
ference, which convened in 1868. Nine
articles "for the amelioration of the con-
dition Of wounded in armies in the field"
were drawn up and signed by the rep
reseutatives of II governments. The
signatory powers now number 40. Out
OF compliment TO Switzerland the red
cross on a white field was chosen as the
society's emblem, the Swiss flag being
the reverse. Durant was accorded a po-
sition Of honor in the new organization.
hut soon found his wealth had vanished
in carrying his labors to success. Health
departed along with riches, and finally
the Empress Maria Feodorovna gave him
a pension and the citizens Of Stuttgart
helped MIN financially. This allowed
him to live in comparative comfort at
the hospice overlooking the beautiful
lake Of Geneva. The Nobel prize in 1901
came too late to allow him other things
i'm life lie was a helpless invalid and
is seemed better fer him 10 complete
his life under the roof which had be-
friendcd him 50 long. ~ Few symbols
stand for better things than the rel
cross flag 70 which he devoted his man
hood Springfield Republican.