The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-07
BY FRANCES l.. KERCHER.

BY FRANCES l.. KERCHER.
The Red Cross society is an inter
national society for the relief of the
sick and wounded in the time of war,
now recognized as an important factor
in military sanitation. 1t may be said
to have originated from the recon-
mendations made by Henri Dunant,
Swiss gentleman, who, in 1859, served
on the medical force in the Italian
wars.
At the close of the war he publish
ed work calling attention to the
needless hardships endured by the sick
and wounded. He recommended that
a universal society for the care of dis
abled soldiers be organized, and that
the sick and wounded be regarded as
neutrals in time of war. Soon after he
secured aid and cooperation from the
Swiss federal council in calling an in
ternational conference, which met in
Geneva, Switzerland, on October IS,
1868, in which sixteen of the leading
nations were represented, but since
then the number of powers signing
the conditions required has increased
very materially.
The principal conditions to be COM
piled with by each nation joining the
association is the provision that a So
ciety is to be maintained by each
power, which is to care for the sick
and wounded in time of war, and to
devote attention to the training of
nurses and preparation of hospital
stores in the intervening time of
peace. Provisions were made whereby
the general society is bound to CO.
operate by sending representatives
and nurses to any country where war,
famine, pestilence, floods, or any 9TH
err great calamity may exist. though
the Geneva treaty extends protection
only in the time of war.
Berlin Helped Organization.
The first provisions for supplying
aid in naval warfare were added at an
international conference held at Ber-
lin. The badge of the society is a red
cross on a white background which
is the national flag of Switzerland re-
Versed in color, and it must be accom-
panied in time of service by the ban
ner of the country in which the so
ciety operates Queen Victoria issued
an order to institute the Royal Red
Cross in 1888, which adopted a red
Maltese cross as the decoration, bear
ing the words, faith, hope and charity
The American Red Cross society was
formed under the direction of Clara
Barton. During our Civil war, Miss
Barton was active in the relief of
prisoners and wounded. In the
Franco-Prussian war she worked in
hospitals, and when, in 1873, she re-
turned to the United States, having
studied military relief and worked
with the Red Cross societies IN
Europe, she bent all her efforts to-
ward getting the United States to rati-
fy the Geneva treaty. In 1882, the
treaty. was ratified by this country.
and She became the first president OF
the American Red Cross which posi-
ton she held until 1904. She was the
originator of the plans for extending
relief on a broader basis than only IN
time of war.
In 1905 congress specially char,
tered the American Red cross, ana
since that time every resident-man
woman and child-in America IL en-
titled to hold membership in it The
American Red Cross, while purely
volunteer organization, is officlaily
designated by the government to sup
ply the work of the army and navy
medical corps, and to officially re-
ceive and distribute on behalf of the
government all moneys and supplies
REQUIRED to relieve communities over
whelmed by disaster and to cooperate
thru its base hospitals and other mill
itary units with the army and navy.
Close to Government.
The machinery of the society inter-
locks closely with that of the govern
ment. The president of the society
is the president Of the United States;
ltS treasurer IS the leueTdl COHlDlTOl-
Ter of currency; the war department
audits its accounts; the surgeon gen
eral of the United States medical corps
and an admiral of the navy head it's
committees on military and naval re-
lief.
In time of war the government
takes over the equipment and person
mel organized by the society," and every
physician, nurse and officer on its roll
is automatically given proper military
rank.
Twenty-Five movable base hospitals,
each of them capable of providing for
the needs of an army division of 90
600 men, have been organized during
the last twelve months. Five have
been provided for the navy
The equipment for these HOSPITALS.
costing something like $4,000 each,
has been provided and stored in or
| derby fashion, where it is instantly
available. The trained personnel. con-
sisting of S61 surgeons. pharmacists,
dentists, nurses, assistant nurses.
stretcher bearers, orderlies, clerks,
hospital cooks, carpenters, etc, has
been drawn from the strongest hos
pitfalls and Red Cross chapters in
twenty-five of our great American
cities, and for a period of two years
is pledged to respond to the call of
the government for active field SER
vice.
So it is not a mere incidental piece
OF relief machinery which the Amer
lean Red Cross is building.