Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-06-14
RED cRoss.
Many citizens in ihe Valley Al

ing TIE Red Cross W,rI aid its
origin. Here is a ve"7 good ar
tirle found in Johnson Univei-
sal Cyclopedia, giving a splendid
and definition:
RED Cross-The name applied
to the international treaty ar
by the Geneva convention
of 1864, as we'll as to the various
societies organized to carry out
it's aims. These center i'm The
cause of humane and merciful
treatment of wounded, sick, and
dying soldiers in time of war. The
Red Cross is the distinctive flag
designated in the treaty, by which
all hospitals (field or perma-
nentD, ambulances, persons, ma
terials, and appliances employed
in the relief service are known as
such; and whenever the flag is
displayed accompanied by the ma
tional flag to which the HOSPITAL,
ETC., belongs, it is treated, re-
spected and protected as neutral.
Under the treaty soldiers disabled
by wounds or sickness who have
fallen into the hands of the en-
envy may be sent through the
lines; if healed in the hands of
the enemy and incapable OF bear
ing arms, they must be delivered
to the outposts to be sent to their
homes, upon request: if capable
of further military service, they
may be sent to their homes on
condition Of not again bearing
arms during the war. Thus the
spirit of the Red Cross treaty
makes of a wounded or sick SOL
dier a neutral, a non-combatanl.
The Red Cross movement is civil
in its origin, and the various ma
tional committees, societies. or
associations organized to carry
into effect the objects of the
treaty are purely civil. They
place themselves in communities
ton with their respective govern
ments, and in time OF military ac-
tivity they cooperate with. and
become auxiliaries and aids TO,
the medical and surgical depart
ments of the armies. I'm time OF
peace they employ themselves i'm
preparing for emergencies.
AT the battle of Solferino. Italy
June "a, 1859, the terrible and
needless suffering and loss oil
life caused by days of neglect To
care for the wounded and dying
were witnessed by philanthropic
Swiss gentleman, Henri Dunant
of Geneva. He personally aided
the insufficient medical forces oil
the armies, and realizing thai
such conditions ought not to eX-
list, and need not, if the human
itarian impulse and efforts of tho
people could prevail, he con-
ceived the idea of pledging tho
nations of the earth to REGARD
and protect as neutral all sicl
and wounded combatants, and al
persons and means engaged ir
giving them succor. He elahor-
ated these ideas and feelingly de
scribed the scenes on the battle
field in a book which he wrote
"Un Souvenir de Solferino." Tho
cause was warmly espoused by
La Societe Genevoise d'Utiilite
Publique, of which Dunant was {
member, and through the coop
Grafton of the Swiss federal coun-
Gil an international conference
was assembled at Geneva in Oc-
tober, 1868. This meeting was
attended by delegates from six
teen governments, and continued
in session four days. IT was fol
lowed by convention, to which
all nations We're invited to sen(
representatives, and which con
vened in Geneva, August g. 1861
Twenty five delegates represent
ing sixteen governments, attend
ed. The session continued unit
August %, and eliminated i'm tho
agreement to nine PARTICLES of TIL,
convention for the amelOratio1
of the condition of the wounded
+, in armies in the field" These ar
ticles were signed by twelve gov
ernments before the convention
adjourned, and the treaty was lief
open for the accession of others
The signatory powers have
reached forty in number.
The treaty designates "a re,
iross on a white ground as tint
distinctive and uniform flag anl
arm badge that shall be adopted
for all hospitals, ambulances, Can(
personnel; and provides that i
must on all occasions be accom-
panied by the national flag; alst
that the delivery thereof lin time
of action) shall be left to tho
; military authority. The Re,
Gross on a white ground was
!adopted as a well-meriied com
ipliment to the Swiss confereda
itiOn. whose national flag is th,