The Washington herald., 1917-06-11
nv MAnIE WIDhIER.

II
In the carly days OF August, 1914
when the furies Of war descended upor
. Europe, Switzerland realized that i
would be her lot 10 act as angel ,ol
mercy. to the war sufferers and prison
ers Of her belligerent neighbors. The
little Alpine republic was obliged her
self TO arm against possible viola
tous Of her territory; she was forceC
into an economic neutrality which de,
r:land3 ever increasing sacrifices anc
Which at this present time has be
come an issue Of utmost Importance
But Notwithstanding her own heavy
burdens and the serious food problems
confronting her, switzerland has mo-
paused in her charitable activities or
behalf OF suffering mankind. She {:
proud that such a noble task hat
been allotted her.
Switzerland. thu cradle of true de.
mocracy. is moreover the land wherS
that most benevolent institution, the
Red Cross. had its foundation.
Surgery and medicine did not come
into use on the battlehelds befort
the last decade OF the eighteenth cen.
tury. Before that time wounded sol
diers were either carried to the real
by their comrades or left unattended
and exposed until the fighting was
over. Surgical assistance did moi
reach the battlefields until the day
afte: the engagement or even latel
and for many OF the wounded it wai
then too late.
In 1872 Baron Dominique Jean Larrey
of the French army introduced hi;
system Of "ambulances volantes." OF
f1ying field hospitals. capable of NOV
Ing rapidly from place TO place. They
gave primary surgical treatment and
removed the wounded quickly from
the field.
Founded FIfty-eight Years Ago.
The actual founder OF the Red Cross
society was Jean Henri Dunant, a
philanthropic citizen OF Geneva.
switzerland. On June II. 1883, he
chanced to be present at the battle
OF Solfertno and was an eyewitness
10 The vast amount OF unnecessary
suffering that resulted from the in
ability OF the regular surgical corps
to care for the thousands Of wound
ed who lay upon the field.
Three years later he published a
book and advocated an international
convention to provide for aiding the
held at Geneva in 1853. neutraiized the
surgical corps Of hostile armies and
volunteer societies caring for the
ToTnded: ST;.l: AS compliment to
yersed. colors, a red cross on a white
field, was to be adopted universally
bers Of the neutral staffs. Geneva
has been since that time the head
quarters of the International Red
Cross Society.
The international committee Of the
Red Cross under the chairmanship
foremost citizens, founded the Agency
for the Prisoners of War, whose main
purpose IL is to act as Intermediary
between the prisoners of war and
their families and friends.
From October Is. 1914 to June 30.
1916, the agency sent over 410.5a9 let
/ tiers with information to families of
prisoners: 1t received more than 7S.Tl3
callers who came personally to ask
for information: II transmitted more
than l.s9i,0o0 francs and 30.s5j. .33l
packages to which 1855 packages
patched directly from Geneva.
War Sufferers Comforted.
Soon after the outbreak OF the
great conflict came those pitiru
armies of war sufferers. evacuated
civilians, homeless French and Bel
CLAN refugees and interned civilia ms
when an exchange had been finally
arranged for the latter. Red Cross
workers took charge of these un.
fortunate travellers within the Swiss
eoTndariss; boz daItsoa they ,S we're welSomed .S.
ANNt NlONhtu auu IN INK
depth of winter there were kindly
Swiss women at the railroad sta
tions in the middle OF the night
just to comfort the miserable traV-
elers with hot coffee and bread.
In Schaffhausen, Immediately ad'
| joining the German border, there
have been German-Swiss mother,
who practically stripped their owl
children at the railroad station tC
alleviate the suffering of some half
starved, insufficiently clad French
and Belgian children, and in Geneva
where the German interned civilian:
arrived, there was just the same
| indiscriminating display of loving
| sympathy. "Vive la Suisse" anC
"Hoch die SchweIz" has ever beer
the enthusiastic farewell of these
travellers when they left Swiss soil
The next phase of the melancholS
procession was the passage of tht
grands blesses. prisoners Of war so
seriously MANNED and injured as tC
be of no further military use. Al
exchange of such men was agreed
upon early in 1915, and at intervals
ever since have the splendidlI
equipped Swiss hospital train,
| Lyons, loaded with dying. perma'
nently crippled or insane prisoner =
| Swiss physicians and Red Cros:
nurses superintend the loading and
unloading Of the patients and ac'
company the trains. The generous
| populace is ever on the lookout fol
these sad transports in order thai
they may cheer those most unfortu'
nate of all war victims with flora
greetings and various little gifts.
Relief Bureaus EstabIIshed.
Relief bureaus for the prisoners OF
war were also established soon after
the outbreak OF the great conflict and
while separate funds were created fol
each country, the committees in charge
are guided by charity only. Eatables
and articles OF clothing are forward.
ed to different camps FOR prisoners and
| interned civilians.
Another huge charitable work is per
formed by the Swiss postal authorities
The little mountain republic allow:
| free postage not only to letters, pack
ages and money orders destined fol
! prisoners of war. but also to al
| correspondence addressed by the pris'
oners and the interned civilians &c
their relatives and friends. The mail