Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-05-18
What is the Red Cross?

The Red Cross society is an in
tsrnational association for the re-
lief of the sick and wounded in
time of war. The American Red
Cross, however, is a little differ
ent than the international asso-
cia ion, in that it consists of two
branches or departments, the
military and civil departments.
The originator of this society
was a Swiss gentleman, Henri
Dunant, who aided the medical
forces in 1859, in the Italian wars
and who was so much impressed
by the needless suffering of the
sick and wounded, that at the
end of the war he published a
book in which he advocated the
idea of pledging all nations to re-
gard as neutrals all the sick ard
wounded in war time, and of a
universal society to take care of
the disabled soldiers Receiving
the cordial support of La Societe
Genevoise d'Utilite Publique, of
which he was a member, he Sc
cured the cooperation of the Swiss
federal council in calling for an
internal ional conference to devise
some plan for the alienation of
suffering during wars. Such a
conference was held in Geneva
Oct, 26, 1868, 16 governments
being represented. Another was
held August 8, 1864, and again
16 nations were represented.
Nine articles of the convention
for the amelioration of the con-
dition of wounded in armies in
the field" were drawn up and
signed August %, by twelve of
the sixteen. nations represented.
Since then practically every ma
ton has joined and each treaty
nation has a society. The in
sigma of the society, a red cross
upon a white back ground, chosen
as a compliment to the Swiss
government, whose national en-
blem is a white cross upon a red
back ground is known to every
man, woman and child. Thus the
society came to be known as the
Red Cross. The society is given
the privileges Of neutrals and all
patients under its care have a
similar privilege and are treated
alike. By the terms under the
international treaty. the Red
Cross must in all cases be accom-
panied by the banner of the coun-
try in whose service the society
operates.
The real heroine and founder
of the American Red Cross was
Clara Barton, a noted philan-
thropist, born in Massachusetts,
in 1880. Her first noted philan-
thropic work was during the Civil
war, when she devoted herself to
the care of wounded soldiers on
the battlefield and in 1864 had
charge of the hospitals of the
Army of the James. In 1865 she
visited Andersonville, Georgia,
and decorated the graves of the
Union soldiers. In 1866 and 1867
she gave lectures on her expert
ences during the war, and visit
ed Europe to recuperate her
health. During the war between
Germany and France she volun-
teered in humane and hospital
service, and assisted the Grand
Duchess, of Baden, in the estab-
lishment of hospitals. For her
services she was decorated with
the golden cross of Baden, and
the iron cross of Germany. In
1881 on the organization of the
American Red Cross society, she
became its president and in 1884
represented the United States at
the Red Cross conference in
Geneva, Switzerland. She was
also a delegate to the information.
al peace convention at Geneva in
1884. She rendered benefcient
services during the Ohio floods,
the Michigan fires, the Charles
ton earthquake and other calam-
tiles of national import. Status