Evening star., 1917-03-25
International
Aspiration.

may be able to agree to
AepAAatloA. aid each other on the
field of battle by the exchange of safe
conducts. etc. The project is in reality a
summary of what is contained in the
international contract made by the Geneva
convention.
Richelieu. 1t should be remarked, pro-
posed that religious societies should be
Incorporated in the service of the mill
tary hospitals. In 1929 Richelieu placed
under the direction of Sourdis, Bishop of
balances of the army OF Italy. then con-
trolled by the Brothers Of the Deaths
Head and of Charity" He conf1ded to
some Jesuits the flying infirmiers' whose
cooks prepared the bouillon for the sick,
Louis XIV added to the hospital service
in his armies in Germany. Flanders and
Holland groups of Franciscans. who. as
chaplains of the king, administered
spiritual rites to the wounded. In caring
for the souls of the wounded they likewise
assisted in caring for their bodies.
The profession Of ''hospitaliers'' belong
ed. above all. to the congregation of
Saint Jean de Dieu," called in France
Brothers of Charity since the day
when Henry Nv. admiring their devotion
to the sick, named their house in the
Faubourg Saint Germain the Charity of
John lie Dieu." BY letters patent in 1902
the king permitted the Brothers of
Charity" to establish hospitals in all the
cities and places of the kingdom where
they might be called.
Louis XIII. following the counsel of
Richelieu, established the above order
in France, and Pope Plus V accorded to
the vicar general residing in Paris the
right to visit all the hospitals in the
kingdom. II those houses of charity
which Richeleu particularly favored
he caused to he created the hall known
as the Hall Of the Virgin" which was
reserved for wounded soldiers That
royal hospital controlled by the order
was the headquarters of all charities
established in the kingdom and colo
MES. In 1889 there were forty hospi-
tails. containing 1000 beds, and these
were served by 300 Brothers of Charity.
These hospital foundations, consid-
cred as remarkable models were re-
garded with jealous dislike by the in
terested lay chiefs of other hospitals.
The reputation of certain skillful sur
geons among The brothers offended the
health officers, who were undoubtedly
INSCRIPTIONS 'grafters On the pre-
text of economy the directors substi-
tuted the regi mental hospitals for the
hospitals of the Brothers of Charity.
which would be administered by the
staff and surgeon majors of the corps.
all experienced in the science of graft.
The chiefs of hospitals in the service
of the brothers were dismissed and re-
placed by soldiers, who with the in
hrmie,'s errand boys and scuilions
henceforth served the sick.
The staff. acting as directors of the
hospitals. failed to render the service
given the army, and the soldiers. as
well as the sick and wounded. bitterly
the iisba ndment of the civil
infirmiers. Thus the idea of the prof.
ect of Mauric" was dissipated by the
selfish interests which were sufficiently
powerful to prevent Duke Louis dor
leans from adopting the project in
1744. The project OF Maurice, it is un-
derstood. If adopted. would have en-
dowed the army with Red Cross So
ciety in 1744-that is to say, l20 years
before the convention at Geneva.
CHI. CHAILLE-LONG.