Evening star., 1928-05-08

L1dtS UlA- OudJs ElAbS az HELL ~SIAu
today. in memory Of Jean Henri
of those who forget, or never knew. who
was Dunant, let 1t be told that he II
who was did more than Florence Night
ingale TO lessen the abomination Of
war
Hats of! This is his first centennial
birthday. He created the Red Cross Of
the world. He gave to warning nations
the thought of mercy for the disabled
enemy, stricken upon the battlefield
He organized relief for the wounded,
no matter from which army. He talked
to kings, and his topic was humaneness.
They heard, they got his inspiration
They learned that brutality and stoni-
ness Of heart were not synonymous with
glory, that wounded and dying enemies
were yet human, and that mercy to q
helpless foe might be rewarded with
mercy from the foe for the heroes OF
the nation first giving the cup Of water
or the hospital cot and surgical relief
from pain.
Dunant had inherited a moderate
competence; he was able to travel
about to do good. for he was q lover Of
man. Thus he was occupied at the
age OF 81. when las told in his own
book. The Origin OF the Red CroSs")
he fairly stumbled upon the Battle Of
Solferino.
THE bloody victory of Magenta
opened the gates OF Milan to the French
Army tunder Napoleon III. which the
towns Of Pavia. Lodi and Cremona vel
coined enthusiastically. On the
2lst of June tiSSsl Napoleon III and
Victor Emmanuel left Brescia. from
which place their armies had departed
the previous day. These united
forces amounted to 10000 men and
400 cannon. The Austrian En-
peror (the enemy had at his disposi-
ton. in the Lombardo-Venetian king
dom. . army corps amounting in all
to 250,0O men and 500 cannon"
Dunant describes the terrible struggle
The battle ragged all day. and OF the
400 900 men there were 10000 killed
or wounded. Dunant pictures the bat
tlefield and the horrors OF the succeed
ing days. when wounded and abandon
ed victims of the carnage suffered and
died without surgery or the soothing of
organized and systematized aid. The
description Is too horrifyinR to reprint.
The feeling that one has OF his own
inSufficiency." writes Dunant, IN such
solemn circumstances. Is inexpressible
organized In haste. are aided by auxii-
iary committees OF devoted ladies. In
one oi the hospitals OF Cremona. fol-
lowing Solferino. an Italian physician
having said We keep the good things
for our friends OF the allied army. but
We give to our enemies only what IL
absolutely necessary. and IL they die.
so much the worse for them lady.
directing one OF the hospitals of that
city hastened TO diSapprove of those
harbarouS words. saying that she al
ways took the same care OF AustrianS
French and Sardinians. not wishing to
make any difference between friends
and enemies. for she said. our Lord
Jesus made no distinction between men
when u was a question OF doins them
good.
Then comes the birth of the Red
Cross idea. Dunant says that he was
asked. why relate with complaiSance
these lamentable details, and dwell upon
these distressing ptctureSs
To this very natural question We re-
ply with another question: Would Il
not be possible 10 establish In every
country Of Europe aid societies whose
aim would be to provide. during war.
volunteer nurses for the wounded. with.
out distinction OF nationalitys
Societies of this kind, once created,
with permanent existence. would be
found all ready at the time Of war,
They should obtain the favor OF the
authorities of countries where they are
created and beg. In case OF war from
the SovereignS OF the helligerent powers
the permission and the facilities neces-
sary 10 carry out their purposes, These
societies should include I'm their own
and each country, as members of the
central committee, the most honorable
and esteemed men"
The details OF Dunant'S vision OF the
possibilities of his proposed organisa-
tion need not he repeated here, for his
dream has come true, even more effec-
lively than he could imagine possible.
nunant gives full credit To the good
woman who, individually. had already
taken up the task Of nursing and car
ing for the wounded even years before
the battle OF Solferino,
THE picture nf Miss Florence Night
ingale." he writes, during the night,
aoing through the vast wards of the
military hospitals Elm the Crimean
War; with q small lamp In her hand,
noting the condition at each sick man.
will never he ohliterated from the hearts
Of the men who we're the objects Of her
admirable henencence"
Hut the need was for organized aid,
Those good old women" he writeS
those beautiful Young girls nt CAStl-
glinne could not save the lives Of many
ai those whom they nurSed. Resides
them were needed experienced men,