Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-11

man of Geneva, Switzerland, who wit
messed the battle of S0lferino, June -
1859, and saw how in he presence OF
the terrible carnage, only compaTa-
lively few of the army Of the wound-
ed could be cared fer by the regular
surgical corps
Three years later NJ. Durant issued
a book entitled TN Souvenir de Sol
ferino" in which he described the i'm
potency of the surgical and hospital
corps of all armies Ia succor prompt
Is and properly the soldier wounded IL
battle. and urging trained nurses, the
collection OF supplies 10 be used IN
the event of war, all 10 supplement
the regular surgical corps. Agitation
began which resulted in German
conference in October. 1863, and there
followed in August Of the sumo ye.tr
the historic Geneva convention, be-
ginning what is now the mighty In
tcrnatlonal Red Cross, the articles be-
ing signed by the representatives, OF
II nations which number has now in
! creased 10 43. BY those signing the
convention the provisions were recog-
nlZed as part of international law
In many Of the international confer
enceS abuse of the insignia has been
discussed as well as the means of
prevention and punishment. At one
OF these conferences it was shown that
during the Anglo-naer war in South
Africa. one of the eombatants used
the symbol for deceptive and hostile
purposes. 1t WAS decided, however.
that nothing could be done except for
each country to act secure legislation
and report to the International Of
ficers
I'll" Ameris an National Red Cross
was not organized until 1891. one of it's
eafteSt activities WIS to secure the en-
aetnent Of a law putting into effect tie
PROVISIONS of the treaty i'm regard to
the Geneva Convention and which EN-
bodied a section of the charter This
section provides that IL shall be unlaw-
fui for any person within the llrisdie-
ton Of the United States to falsely rep
resent himself to be member or agent
Of the American National Red Cross,
for The purpose OF soliciting, collecting
or receiving money or display the sign
of the Red Cross or any insignia colored
IL imitation. FOR the fraudulent purpose
OF inducing the belief that he is a
member of or an agent for, the Ameri-
can National Red Cross.
1t shall be unlawful for any person,
corporation or association other than
the American National Red Cross and.
its duly authorized employees and
the army and navy sanitary authorities
Of the United States. for the purpose
OF trade or as an advertisement to in
duee the sale of any article whatsoever
or cor any business of charitable pur-
pose 10 use within the territory of the
United States of America and its ex-
terror possessions the emblem of the
Greek Red Cross ON white ground, or
any sign or insignia made or eolored
IN imitation thereof, or the words Red
Cross or Geneva Cross or any com
bination of these words"
Provision is made, however, that
persons or corporations who used such
insignia or words for commercial pur
pose prior to January ]. 1905, may con-
tinue to do SO for the same class of
goods, as the present law became oper-
ative after that date. The penalty for
infraetion Of this, section 81 the LAZY Is a
fine of not less than 81 or. more than
$506, o. Imprisonment for term not
exceeding one year. or both, for each
and every offensc.
Ii is believed by the officials of the
American National Red Cross, as sug-
Gested by the article of Director
Bicknell. that a thorough dissemina-
ton of the text of this law would re-
suit in a vast reduction of the gross
abuses, especially for commercial
purposes, of the sacred insignia of the
American National and the Interna-
tional Red Cross. 1t is thought that
physicians and hospitals especially
should avoid such misuse of an en-
blem restricted to a special purpose.
In nearly every city and town in the
country impudent violation of this
law may be noted by any observant
person, though the impudence for the
most part may be due to ignorance of
the drastic legal provision: but it is a
well established principle in law that
ignorance is no excuse for lawhreak-
ing
The law penaliZing those who desc
crate the American flag by using it
for sordid purposes is hardly more
important than that inhibiting a mis-
use of the insignia of the Red Cross.
1t is possible that none of the many
countries whose representatives form
the International Red Cross has
broadened the work after the manner
of the American National Red Cross
From the organization of the body in
1881 the late Miss Clara Barton was
president until her recent death, and
soon after her election began to urge
that its sphere of usefulness, its mis-
sion of mercy might be broadened by
giving relief in all great calamities
This principle became cardinal with
the body, and the reports show that
more than $2,000,000 has been spent for
such relief, the most notable instances
being the Michigan fires of 1881: Flo
rda yellow fever. 1855; Johnstown
Hood 1883; Russian famine, 1912;
South Carolina tidal wave. 1893: Ar
menian massacres, 1896; Spanish re-
concentrates in cuba, 1878; Spanish
reconcentrados, 1898; Galveston tidal
wave. 1900; Mont Peee eruption 1902,
with many other lesser energies max
ing for the relief of suffering
burg Dispatch.