The Springdale news., 1918-05-24
THE CORONATION OF THE
 RED CROSS SOCIETY

RED CROSS SOCIETY
 We have all heard of the Red Cros. Society, the most wonderful of al beneficent associations. and it's great work and powerful influence for gooc the world over, yet few of us really know the true origin of this organiz- ation. It is certainly worth while fol anyone to become acquainted with the facts concerning an international so- ciety of this character, whether it be founded in our own country or anoth- CT, so l give here a brief history of it's origin for the benefit of those who may care to read how, when and where the Red Cross movement was start ed.
 Probably we should feel most grate- ful to Florence Nightengale as the originator of this movement. She was the first woman nurse to enter military hospital, and while she was not directly founder of the Red Cross Society, still it was thru her exper- fences that the organization was in- spired
 Florence Nightengale was of veal thy English parentage, born in Flor ence, Italy, in 1920. Even as a little girl her great passion was caring for injured things or beings Shortly after her debut into society she visit ed military hospital in London, and, appalled, by the unsanitary conditions there and the poor care the soldiers were receiving, decided at once to give up her social life and become nurse in order to better these conditions. She did a great work cleaning up hos pitals, caring for soldiers and having them supplied with proper food and clothing; also founding a school for nurses out of her own resources.
 Thru her influence, or inspired by the results of her work, there came to Henri Dunant, young Swiss, the idea of an international society to carry on such work as she had done. He became quite interested in the movement and wrote book on the subject describing the horrors of the battlefields and unhealthful condi- tions of the hospitals He wished to make the society an organization for the mutual benefit of all nations, knowing that it was too vast a plan for an individual nation to undertake. Consequently he, with the aid of some of his countrymen, called together council of fourteen European na- tions at Geneva, Switzerland. Here Tn the year 1864, was adopted the in- ternational treaty which gave the world the organization of the Red Cross. As a tribute to the nation which had called them together they adopted the emblem of the Swiss banner, interchanging the colors; the Swiss banner being white cross on a -ed field instead C. the red cross on the white fled. The nations pledged themselves to work together m airing fer the si and wounded and never to fire on a doctor. nurse or ambulance bearing the sign of the Red Cross.
 Naturally the question arises-But what of the origin of the Red Cross in America? Clara Barton, the pres. ident of the first Red Cross Society 1T America, was also it's founder here She was philanthropist, born n Cx. ford, Massachusetts, in .sGG. At the beginning of the Civil War she volun. teered her services as a nurse, and during the entire period thru whici the war lasted gave untiring aid te the needs of the soldiers, for which she was highly honcred ard reverence ed by both North and South.
 At the close of the Civil War Miss Barton went abroad for rest and there she first heard of the Red Cross Society. She saw how tie trained men and women worke. to. Sether, doing their work in a system atlc, orderly way, and became insplr Cd to organize such society in Amer iea It was largely thru her efforts that the Geneva Treaty was signed
 Thus was founded this society, in other countries and our own, based on all things which give benefit to man. hlno Truly we owe, not only grati- tude to these men and women who were inspired to organize this broth erhood for the welfare of all nations but our utmost service to its cause in appreciation of their beneficent ef. forts. Margaret o M.rL.