New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-20
Henri Dunant, of Geneva,
Conceived Idea After See
ing Wounded Neglected
Rebufed Many Times
Lived to See Triumph Of the
Cause, but Died Almost
Forgotten in 1910

Travellers by rail between Milan and
Venice will be familiar with the monu-
ment that rises in solemn isolation
above the great plain Of Lombardy'
near Solferno, says Arthur Humphreys
in "The London Guardian" Probably,
however. few are aware that to the
battle which it commentaries perhaps
the most sanguinsry Of the nineteenth
century-the world owes the beginning
of the Red Cross organization. which,
in the present struggle, as in previous
lesser wars. has rendered such mag
niicent service in lessening the horrors
of the battlefield.
On that summer aay-June "a. 1888
when the allied forces of the French
and Piedmontese, under Napoleon III
and Victor Emmanuel, met and over
threw on this field the armies OF Aus
tria, young man named Henri Dunant.
who had been spending a holiday IN
the district, was drawn, partly by
curiosity. TO the scene OF the conflict.
On reaching Solferino Dunant was
hcrror-stricken at the number OF
wounded soldiers lying on the field,
apparently receiving little or no atten-
ton. Realizing the desperate nature
of the situation and the need for as
sistance, he quickly secured number
of women from the neighborhood. and
with their aid hastily improylsed add
tional ambulance service and helped
to convey the wounded to the village
Of Castiglione.
THE Gentleman in White"
Here he rendered active personal
assistance 70 the stricken men, who
soon began 20 name him the Gentle
man in White" in allusion TO his dress
"a worthy successor to the Lady OF
the Lamp" the story OF whose heroic
labors in the then recently concluded
Crimea campaign had much impressed
him. He remeded 10 some extent the
careless and indiscriminate manner IN
which the wounded had been dealt
with in the temporary hospitals. BY his
energetic efforts he secured churches,
public buildings and private houses
for nursing purposes, and IN every pos
sible way did his utmost TO mitigate
the sufferings Of the wounded victims
of the engagement.
These narrowing scenes left an in
effaceable impression on Dunant's mind
and he conceived the idea Of promoting
a volunteer corps, drilled and in
structed in the handling of stretchers,
permanently organized, and protected
in its work on the battlefield by its
absolute neutrality. Full of this prof.
ect, he returned 20 Geneva. his native
city, with the determination TO rouse
public opinion and secure by some in
ternational agreement an arrangement
which should forever render impossible
a repetition OF the unnecessary suffer
ing he had seen in Italy.
One. of his first acts was 70 publish
a Souvenir of Solferino,' in which he
described the terrible scenes he had
witnessed. The pamphlet created a
great impression. and was subsequently
translated into several languages. Il
secured him many active sympathizers,
one of whom. Gustavo Moynier, later
became president Of the International
Red Cross Committee.
Met with Many Rebufs
After many reburs from those who
considered his ideas quite Utopian,
Dunant at length succeeded in getting
the Societe Genevoise d'Utllite Pub
liaue to consider the matter. They re-
mitted his proposals for further eX-
animation 70 a committee of five, which
included, besides Dunant and Moynier.
General Dufour. Commander in Chief
of the Swiss army. There was some
doubt whether the military authorities
would look with favor on the introduc-
ton of a civilian element into warfare,
especially if IL were 20 be more or less
free from their control.
Undaunted by difficulties, however,
Dunant persevered in his campaign,
and eventually. in October. 1868. an
international conference of the powers
of an influential and representative
character was convoked IN Geneva
The result of its deliberations was that
in August Of the following year the
Congress of Geneva was held, when a
number of resolutions were submitted
outlining the regulations for the pro-
posed organization. These resolutions,
more or less modified during discus
sion. were adopted. and the Convention
Of Geneva, as 1t was termed, was duly
signed by the representatives OF the
twelve powers attending, including
Prussia.
One of the resolutions stipulated
that a distinct badge or flag was 70 be
used TO denote the presence OF the
agents of the organization on the bat
tlefeld. and it was decided to adopt "a
red cross on a white ground'-the re-
verse Of the Swiss Federal flag -as the
sign of this new international associa-
ton.
Dunant lived to see the triumph and