Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-08
Heads Of Medical Department of
Army and Navy Speak.
PREVENTING INSIGNIA ABUSE
Reports by Foreign Delegates Re-
garding the Measures Taken
in Their Countries.

AiIleTlcdS, Tdi-aiIleTlCdn OullQlng, WQere
all the official sessions will be held
The program called for the reading of
papers by Surgeon General George H.
Torney. Q. S. A; Surgeon Genera
Johann Steiner. representing the min
lister of war Of Austria Hungary; ar
account of the administration of sup
ply stores of the Red Cross in Russia
a paper on the organization of the
Swiss Medical Corps on the battlefield
and the cooperation of the Red Cross
formations. by Maj. Dr. c. de Marval
NJ. U. D., director of the Swiss Society
of the Red Cross and delegate Of that
society.
The program was changed, however
and reports of a number of foreign Rec
Cross organizations were presented.
New Relations Toward Red Cross.
Gen. Torney. in his paper. said. in part
'Dven in times Of peace the personne
Of the medical department of the United
States Army has never been adequate
for the needs of the service: therefore. Il
will become imperatively necessary fol
the War Department to accept the volun-
tary assistance offered by patriotic So
cieties for the care of the sick and
time of war. By an act of Congress, ap-
proved by the President, April "a last
the relations of the War and Navy De-
partments and the Red Cross have been
established by law
This law, Gen. Torney said, provides
that In time of war, or when war is immi-
nent, the President may call for and
utilize the American Red Cross, employ
Ing the organization as a part Of the
sanitary service of the army and navy
conformity Uif he
may provide. The law provides for the
free transportation and subsistence of
Red Cross nurses and officials at such
times, as well as free transportation for
Red Cross supplies of all kinds. That
such organized auxiliary assistance to
the medical corps Of the military estab-
lishment is necessary. said Gen. Torney,
has been amply proven in the country's
experience.
Our own Spanish-Amerfcan war;" he
said, is full of experience to teach US
that 1t Is futile to attempt the employ
ment of a number of individual relief
associations In the hope that good results
will ensue to those who are suffering from
the diseases and disablements incident
to war
Hereafter, said Gen. Torney, such vol
untary aid societies can aid in caring
for the sick and wounded in time OF war
ton with the Red Cross. Therefore it
is necessary that the Red Cross shall be
so organized and trained in times of
peace as to be able to fulfill its function
in times Of war
For this reason the Red Cross should
organize in the immediate future columns
of physicians, female trained nurses and
attendants for hospital work. and physi-
slams and attendants for field work, and
instruct such units for professional and
structed in other countries.
Red Cross Work in Europe.
Following the paper by Gen. Torney,
Surgeon General DR.. Steiner presented
paper on Means the Red Cross has
taken to assist the army in time of war"
discussing the work of the Red Cross in
Austria Hungary and other European
countries and detailing at length the or
ganization work and drill that members
of the organization are given.
Reports OF a number of foreign dele
gates In regard to the measures that have
been taken in their own countries to pre-
vent the abuse of the insignia and name
Of the Red Cross. which were to have
been presented at the mornings session
next Friday. were moved up, being given
at this mornings session. These reports
were read by the representatives of the
Hungarian, Swiss, Cuban, Norwegian,
Greek, Argentina, Swedish and American
Red Cross societies, the report of the
American Red Cross being presented by
Maj. Gen. George w. Davis, u. s. A.,
retired.
Abuse Of Red Cross Insignia.
Gen. Davis gave in detail the various
acts of Congress designed to protect the
insignia and name Of the Red Cross So
ciety from use as a trade mark, and to
prohibit and punish it's use with the in
tention Of defrauding or imposing upon
the public or individuals. 1t appears, said
Gen. Davis. that at the time the United
Geneva convention. by which the Red
Cross Society is officially recognized and
accorded by this government all the rights
to which 1t is entitled by agreement with
other nations. no less than 131 persons or
trade mark either containing the Greek
Red Cross, or the words, RED Cross"
The act OF June 20, 1910. however, put
an end to this misuse OF the insignia and
name OF the organization. which Is now
specifically forbidden.
The morning session adjourned at II
o'clock. Official delegates being served
with luncheon in the Pan-American
building.
Red Cross and the Navy.
Tho afternoon session was opened at 2
o'clock with a paper by Surgeon General
Charles F. Stokes. u. S. N. the title of
the paper being The Relations of the
American National Red Cross With the
Medical Department Of the Navy in
War" Surgeon General Stokes laid
stress on the development of concerted
action by large numbers OF vessels in
naval engagements. declaring that 1t 10
reasonable to believe that in the near flu
ture engagements at sea may be fought
between fleets numbering fifty to one
hundred warships.
In these circumstances, he said, Red
Cross work during actual combats would
be manifestly impossible. owing to the
tremendous number Of injured and the
like an adequate hospital corps on board
warships going into action.
The speaker presented in outline q plan
devised by him for the cooperation of
the Red Cross after battles at sea are
over. the plan including the use Of a def
ships. and an ample medical and nursing
staff. that would. when firing ceased, at
once relieve the overworked medical Of
dcers on board the warships. The relief
ships, to be known as medical trans
ports. would remove the wounded from
the war vessels, give them prompt and
adequate treatment. and transfer them as
soon as possible to sanitary bases on
shore. This plan, said the speaker, would
Immediately relieve the medical depart
ment Of the navy Of q monster burden.
Reception at Miss Boardman's.
Today's sessions will close with q recep-
ton to the delegates at the home of Miss
Mabel Boardman. president Of the Ameri-
can Red Cross. at 10 o'clock tonight
American and foreign delegates to the