Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-18
|RIGIN AND WORK
OF THE RED CROSS
nerica Responsible for Civilian
selief Of Great Society for
Humanitarianism in War

| nee Nightingale" As matter OF fact
Unable English woman and philanthropist,
wn'ed at the age Of ninety in 1910. as
iui honors and good deeds as Of years,
oia found the great world organization
Nhosission of mercy has been to alleviate
he s'hardships and horrors Of the battle
neiu' Nightingales work in the Crimean
war ever. prepared the way by its stress
oh unitarian ideals and it's practical DEM
ons.rat that the afterterrors Of battle
couid oneviated by organized and scien-
tiflo metz
The ina, tim or q roh,o A,r.r,osn woman
oonpiirnei the work Of the RED Cross 60
''eS, aeen conducted, In applying It's
principies extending its aid in civilian
rehei III Ns of calamity. pestilence and
iainihe' was Clara Barton, born tho
year after =. >,,h,,r,,,o era s,,y,vinp
ner py TWO ra The Red Cross branches
III All couhi signatory to the Convention
or GENEVA respond beneficently at tho
can Oh oistresoth in war and peace.
fiorehce Niingale was early interested
IN nursing andspital conditions. Frightful
eo"o''ions amc the wounded in previous
wars roused heity and at the outbreak Of
'ne |riinean WIN 1854 she determined TO
put INTO prac'lcee theories which had de-
'eiopeo III her IN during an apprenticeship
served III nursintith the Sisters of Saint
vincent oe Paul iaris and at the Kaisers.
"erth INSTITUTION ohe Rhine She organized
nospitai departin'at Scutari, the eminent
success OF which led the justice Of her
clalih that war "aslnecessarily cruel and
which gave her wtw,ds fame During
tne CiVl war III this ntry and the Franco
frussian war she wfrequently consulted
by the authorities an.endered substantial
aid. At the close of tl-r;uear War a tes
ti'nohiai 1und OF s2oo' was rendered her.
Which she inmcdiateiy ated for the found.
ing OF the Nightingale ne of st. Thomas
Hospital, London, for training n, war
nurses
Dunant's rect
Her humanitarian ideal.,c,,ed bv e,tra.
ordinary efficiency made t,yor,d recentive
for the project of Jean ori Dunant a
phlanthropc citizen of Swirland ,ta was
present at the Battle of So.,no Jupa "a
1859, and witnessed the eno,us sufferinp
actually unnecessary due to, inohil;ty ~
the regular surgical corps tome with de-
mands made on It. Limited iumbers and
not we'll organized or provd,yith facIli-
ties the doctors and nurses od not cara
properly for the thousands OF Snded Uis
observations and his knowledge tho ;deais
of mercy, turned into reality L1orenre
Nightingale, led to the writing "I-n Sou-
venir de Solferino.' in which heanbicalIv
described the horrors that had ,ci,ed his
eye and stirred his pity. But .tas more
than medley of horrors 1t was onstruc-
tive document
Dunant suggested that all nation,r,, CO.
ceties for the training of nurses ar,be ac-
emulation of supplies for mmete ,,se
on the outbreak of future wars. was
really the forerunner of ''prcparedne, Ills
proposal was cordially received by So
ciety of Public Utility of Geneva, ,hicb.
started an agitation that led to an rna-
tional conference, October, 1868, follow hv
another In August of the following yeaiom.
posed of authorized diplomatic repreta-
tives of sixteen nations.
Tho Geneva Convention. signed Auguso
1864, was the fruit of the conferences. he
Geneva Convention which has becom.
part Of International law by the accept.e
of the original and later signatory natl,
makes no provision for the organization
know as the Red Cross, contrary to usl
belief. The first conference, however. form
lated an agreement that each country whi,
signed the convention should have a nation
society, civil in nature and functions. to
vested with the sole right TO authorize Il
dispatch of a surgical corps and to establi.
field hospitals in case of wars. Fourtee
nations ratified the convention immediate
and the number of sgnatorles is now clio.
TO fifty. virtually the entire world being rel
resented, It is this universal acceptance
its mission of mercy that has given the Re
Cross recognized standing in internation
law. It's operations were first put to te.
in the Franco -Prussian War of 1901.
Naval Warfare
This conflict, however, by its dsturban,
of peace conditions, initiated against incl,
sion of additional powers and responsibilities
In 1863 the first international Red Cross col
ference met in Paris to make revisiors foun
desirable and necessary out of experience.
proposed several supplementary articles. II
Guiding the extension of Red Cross principl,
to naval warfare. These were formally pre-
posed to the signatories by diplomatic col
gress at Geneva in 1870. but were neve
binding. as the Prussian drive into Franc
prevented ratification. The Hague Peac
Conference of 1899 finally brought naval wa,
fare into the scope of the Red Cross. Othe
subjects have been discussed at the uuir
quennial conferences in various capitals Til
relation of the Red Cross to army organiza
ton has been worked out. and measures take
insignum and the necessity of respecting i
One of the chief subjects. of discussion wa
of methods for preventing abuse of the embler
In cloakng hostile designs: this came
particularly at the time of the Boer War
Amplification of scope has been blocked b
the fact that the conferences cannot max
their recommendations mandatory. To b
written into international law they must b
ratified by all the signatory nations. Th
various national committees or Societies" ar
not internationally linked. but the one a
Geneva is accepted as the central body
matters of announcing policy and conductin
international negotiations.
The American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross societ
was formed in 1881 by Clara Barton, Ion
a humanitarian and with a glowing record a
a Civil War nurse. The United States rat
fed the Geneva Convention the next yea,
Miss Barton made the suggestion that th
organisation use Its Offices for remedial an
relief work In peacetime emergencies and tn
innovation was welcomed by "the interns
tionsl." Among the crises In which the Anne,
lean Red Cross performed notable work wer
the Michigan fires Of 1881. the Florida ye
low fever of 1888. the Johnstown flood q
1888, the Russian famine Of 1ssI.s2, tn
South Carolina tidal wave Of 1898, the Al
menian massacres of 1895, the Spanish reco,