The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-04-19
ORIGIN OF The
RED CROSS AND
ITS WIDE SCOPE

the appeal Of President Wilson and
other government officials for finan-
cial support of the American Red
Cross in caring for our own wounded
soldiers and sailors, has served to
bring closer to home this organize
tons Importance.
Though America herself had similar
war relief bodies before the Red Cross
was organized, such institutions did
not possess the international signifi-
canoe that has attached itself to the
Red Cross as a result of activities of
man named Henri Dunant, Swiss
civilian.
Dunant, on mid summer day in
the year 1859, was travelling near the
bloody battlefield of Solferino. The
hot sun was sending its rays down to
| the ground where day or two be-
| fore, French, Sardfnians and Aus
| TRANS had left thousands Of wounded
| and dead. Three hundred thousand
men had faced each other in the grim
fight. For want of helping hand
men lay there parched and dying and
Dunant's heart was touched.
Dunant proceeded, to organize a
band of volunteer nurses and stretch
er bearers to search for wounded SOL
| diers along the 15mile battle front.
!! True, there had been ambulances on
/ the field, but the ambulance flag had
been respected only by its own side.
The inadequacy of it all impellcd Du-
nant to write book in which he asked
! if it was not possible to establish in
every country of Europe aid societies
whose aim it would be to provide in
war time volunteer war nurses for
the wounded, without distinction for
nationality"
Then he visited the courts of Eu-
rope, got interviews with the rulers
or representatives, and enlisted the
| sympathy and cooperation of the
| people in his home town, Geneva.
| BY 1868 Dunant's agitation had in
terested enough persons to make pos
sible the calling of an international
convention to take up his project. The
/ fall of the next year this convention
met in Geneva and the signatures of
eleven governments were secured to a
document known as the Treaty of Ge-
neva, or the "Red Cross Treaty" This
was an agreement to extend certain
immunities to field hospitals, sur
Red eros emblem.
i No international organizations were
! created under the agreement, but by
! reason of the encouragement it af-
forded, Red Cross societies have been
formed independently IN countries
who had representatives at the con-
were later extended to maratime war
So, Ill lot a
in following conventions.
4 Each national society was left free
to regulate its activities as conditions
in its particular country seemed best
adapted to. Each is a voluntary or
ganization, recognized by its own gov
eminent and empowered to ally itself
with the sanitary department OF the
army in war time.
All the societies are membership or
CARNATIONS, the membership consist
ing in whole or in part in the pay
ment of dues. An international Red
Cross committee has its headquarters
J at Geneva, where it acts as a COM
municating agent of the societies of
all the nations. The committee also
studies relief methods and during the
, present war established a prisoners
Du1Gdu WHICH
! concerning the wounded and sick OF
all nationalities to their families.
The Red Cross of neutral country
may give its services to a warning
nation by getting the consent of both
governments. The American Red
Cross extended its services to practic-
ally all of the European countries now
at war.
Sc ac4s 4aI &NGaxy that S00 0f1D
persons in Europe are engaged on
the battlefield, in base hospitals and
Il at home in the rendering of personal
lions more are contributing of their
time and money.
Women, children and men who can
not serve in the army of their coun-
!. try are managing and maintaining
. wounded from the front to base hos
pitfalls or their homes, setting up eat
ing places along railroads over which
the soldiers travel, establishing in
formation and employment bureaus
and corresponding for soldiers who
are unable to write for themselves.
To all of these and innumerabie
other services, is added the gigantic
l INDUSTRY Dy WHICH I1dIluo III Ili0A2esAN@
of homes make garments, bandages
and a thousand and one other things
for the relief of the men at the
front.
With 3o,0o0,o00 men called to war
the military hospitals and public hos
pitfalls were filled with wounded al
the opening of hostilities. As the
number of victims increased, public
buildings were taken over. Among
3 them were school houses, churches
warehouses, factory buildings, gov
eminent buildings and fashionable
club houses.
This use made of various kinds Of
structures for Red Cross work is wei!
Illustrated by the buildings, converted
into hospitals, to which the units OF
the American Red Cross sent to Eu-
rope, were assigned. In England the
hospital was a large villa, in Ger,
many a theater, in Hungary school
for the blind, in Belgium temporary
L ~