The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1917-08-23
'SIDELICHTS'
ON RED CROSS
Attorney H. r. Partlow Writes. Sec
ond of Series of Interesting
Articles.

Attorney ii. X. PaftiOW last week
contributed to The Daily Press and
Weekly Soliphone an interesting
article touching upon the origin OF
the Red Cross Society. Today the
original stony is being supplemented
with the following by Prof. Part
low:
Clara Barton was at the memora-
Bile meeting at Geneva, Switzerland,
in 1869. When she was asked by
the international Red Cross Society
why the United States had not adj
hered to the conditions and joined
| the group of nations attempting to
mitigate the horrors of war, she de-
clared she was astonished and
ashamed that her country had treat
ed the conditions with such indif-
ference She promised at that
meeting that she would do all in
her power to enroll America among
the Red Cross nations of the world.
This was the beginning of the
al
fish the American Red Cross in the
face of neglect and indifference up
on the part of one administration
after another at Washington Clara
Barton gave the full measure of her
strength and personality to beat
down opposition and to incite in
terest in this humane cause. Her
fondest hopes were often shattered
by some political move, unexpected
to her, and which she could not
possibly overcome. Providence,
however, works and perfects many
plans which brings into notice what
seemed to be hopeless cause.
Just at the time that the hope
for the establishment of the Red
Cross was at its lowest in the United
States, an event happened which
gave renewed hopes to Clara Bar
ton and her sympathizers. James A.
Garfield was elected President
Clara Barton had worked in blood
and fire on the battlefield before
his eyes President Garfield and
Clara Barton had stood together
under the rain of bullets in the
Civil war for the common cause.
His spirit was actuated by the same
motives as that which moved hers
Garfield took immediate measures
to establish the organization, the
sublimest achievement as a memo
rial to Clara Barton. American
history reveals no instance of finer
chivalry than this generous and
loyal act of President Garfield just
before his martyrdom.
Clara Barton worked thirteen
years to meet the promises she
made to the convention at Geneva
in 1869, and that was to align
America in the movement in behalf
of civilized humanity-an interna
tional humane movement. In 1882
the United States joined the family
of nations which at Geneva, thir-
teen years before, she had pledged
the support to the cause of human
ity.
History abounds with examples
of years of devotion in trying to
work reform. Louis Pasteur
worked for many years to convert
a skeptical world to his scientific
discoveries as to his germ theory.
Columbus underwent privations for
many years, rebuffs by a cold and
world before he found. a
sympathetic ffiend.
The American plan of Red Cross
was at the time of its establish
ment the product of the brain of
Clara Barton and was distinct in
one particular feature to similar
organizations in Europe. The Am
erican plan contemplates wider
usefulness in that the American Red
Cross relieves suffering wherever
found, especially during great cal
antilles, such as fires, pestilence, |
famines, earthquakes and disasters
Clara Barton was the first presi-
dent of the American Red Cross, |
and in less than one month after
the act was passed establishing the
American Red Cross, the first call
for help was sounded, The organi-
cation had not even become estab-
lished In Michigan great fire
was sweeping through the forest
unchecked. Homes were destroyed,
farms burned over and thousands
of people We're in need of food,
clothing and shelter Notwithstand-
ing that the Red Cross Association
was poorly prepared to meet SO
great a calamity, it Immediately
responded under the leadership of
Claraton Barton. The white ban
ner with its red cross was unfurled
for the first time in the devastated
and fire swept forest area of Michi-
gan. The American Red Cross AS
ISOLATION spent $4,000 in the way