Red Cross
THE, is a society organized under governmental authority to furnish volunteer relief to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war and to all who may need relief in time of great national calamities; and to prevent other.
RED CROSS suffering in time of peace. Thus its emblem has come to stand for the world ideal of mercy. It knows neither race, color nor creed.
Previous to the American Civil War there had been no organization which occupied the position now held by the Red Cross, although there had been heroic and organized effort made to care for the sick and wounded in most of the great wars in history by such nursing orders as the Knights Hospitaller of St.
John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and Malta, and the sisters of St. Vincent de Paul.
In 1854 when the allies were fighting the Russians in the Crimea, there came a call from the British War Department for "devoted women willing to go forth and minister to the suffering soldiers in the hospitals of Scutari." Florence Nightingale and thirty-eight nurses answered the appeal. This band may be called the seed from which sprang the Red Cross, for out of it developed the movement for a universal relief organization.
Florence Nightingale's work in the Crimea vitalized the desire of Henri Dunant, a Swiss physician, to alleviate the sufferings in the French-Sardinian war against Austria. He organized the workers at Solferino, Italy, who cared for suffering friend and foe alike. Out of this grew the movement for a permanent society of volunteers, which, in time of war, would render succor to the wounded without distinction of nationality; and it was largely through the efforts of Dunant that the movement grew and received the support of the crowned heads of the world.
For many years there had existed in Geneva a Society of Public Utility, whose efforts were devoted to the furtherance of philanthropic and humane work.
Aroused by Dunant's plea, this society appointed a special committee, which sent out an invitation for a conference to be held at Geneva in October, 1863, to consider the question of volunteer aid for the medical service of armies in time of war and also the neutralization of its personnel. At this first conference fourteen countries were represented. The results were meager, but encouraging.
They are expressed in the following resolution: "That in each country adhering to the proposed agreement a committee should be formed to co-operate in time of war with the military medical service, each committee being organized as its members deemed expedient; in time of peace a trained personnel should be organized and supplies collected; the aid of societies of neutral nations might be invited; the volunteer societies irrespective of the RED CROSS country to which they belonged should wear a distinctive badge-a red cross on a white ground; and that the personnel should be neutralized."
Because of the success of this conference, the Swiss Government, in 1864, addressed an invitation to twenty-five sovereign states to send representatives to a diplomatic convention to be held in Geneva in August of that year. At this convention a treaty was adopted which is generally called the Geneva Treaty, but sometimes the Red Cross Treaty. It provides for protection for hospital formations and their personnel in time of war. Out of compliment to Switzerland, the Swiss flag with its colors reverseda red cross on a white ground-was adopted as the world-wide insignia of humanity and neutrality. This treaty, revised at a convention held in Geneva in 1906, includes under its protection the Red Cross, or volunteer aid societies which have received official sanction from their respective governments. The Treaty of The Hague extends to naval warfare the treaty of Geneva.
During the American Civil War there was created by the United States Government an organization known as the Sanitary Commission, which, though unpopular with government officials at first, developed rapidly into one of the most popular commissions working in conjunction with the military organizations. Once the need of a service which junction with the military organizashould not only care for the sick and wounded, but should likewise preserve the morale of the men, became evident, the success of this commission was assured. By 1863 its value was so well established that Gen. U. S. Grant, commanding the Federal Army, ordered that it should be given every opportunity for increasing its effectiveness.
It is agreed by all historians that the Treaty of Geneva in 1864 was very largely the outcome of the practical labors of this Sanitary Commission. "Herald of the spirit of the Red Cross," writes Miss Mabel T. Boardman in her book on the Red Cross, "the Sanitary Commission recognized neither friend nor foe in the care of wounded men."
The Treaty of Geneva is not mandatory upon any country unless the enemy's government is also one of the signatory powers.
The United States did not sign the Treaty of Geneva until 1882, although a Red Cross organization was incorporated in the District of Columbia in July 1881, of which Miss Clara Barton was named president, under the name American National Association of the Red Cross. In 1900 it was re-incorporated RED CROSS by act of Congress, the charter requir ing that a financial statement should be made annually. Again in 1905 this association was dissolved and a new corporation created by act of Congress, the charter of which provides that its accounts shall be audited by the War Department and that an annual report shall be submitted to Congress.
In each country the Red Cross is organized to suit local conditions and is governed by a Central Committee. To the American Red Cross Central Committee the President of the United States appoints the chairman and representatives of the Departments of State, Treasury, War, Justice and Navy. The incorporators-a self-perpetuating boardelect six, and the delegates of boards, chapters and affiliated bodies elect six.
This committee of eighteen selects an executive committee of seven from among its own members.
Not infrequently the expression "the International Red Cross" is used, as if this were the name of some definite organization. There is no such international order of the Red Cross except the International Committee at Geneva.
The Red Cross of each country is absolutely independent of all others except in so far as it has become a member of the League of Red Cross Societies.
What is required of each society is official authorization by its own government to enable it to obtain the recognition of the governments of other pow- The International Committee of the Red Cross consists of nine residents of Switzerland. ers.
Every five years, up to 1912, there was held an International Red Cross conference, at which have been represented not only the Red Cross societies, but the governments and the knightly orders of St. John of Jerusalem and of Malta. The conference of 1902 was in Petrograd, of 1907 in London and in 1912 in Washington.
Immediately after the organization of the American Red Cross in 1881 it was called upon to render relief service in fires and floods which swept over numerous sections of the United States. Although only recently organized it did heroic work and started that form of relief now designated by congressional charter as one of its functions.
The Russian Red Cross up to the time, at least, when the government fell into the hands of the Bolshevists, was an extensive organization. The majority of Red Cross organizations are supported entirely by voluntary gifts, but the Russian Red Cross has also been aided by special taxes collected on theater tickets, railroad fares and passport fees.
RED CROSS Russia, through its Red Cross, has gen erously extended aid to other countries in war. It is doubtful if in any other country the women of the royal household and the nobility have taken a more active part.
The Japanese Red Cross has shown a rapid and wonderful development. The famous Iyeyasu said to his soldiers: "The object of battle is to disable the enemy by shooting him down, but not to torment him needlessly and inhumanly."
It is said that this spirit of the old sovereign of Japan accounts for the won derful growth of the Red Cross spirit in the Mikado's realm. Japan did not become a signatory of the Treaty of Geneva until 1884, when the association became the Red Cross of Japan under the patronage of the emperor and empress.
The governor of every district in Japan has accepted the presidency of the local branch. In its work of preparedness the Japanese Red Cross is not surpassed by that of any other country.
The great struggle which overwhelmed Europe in 1914 put upon the Red Cross a burden almost beyond comprehension, and especially upon the French Red Cross. The French society consists of three independent branches under one central committee. The war came so suddenly that it found these branches overlapping and confusion ensued for a time. Co-ordination was soon worked out and Red Cross work was successfully prosecuted.
Great Britain had no regular Red Cross organization until 1897. It had, however, an organization that partook of the name, which was formed in 1870, but it carried no centralized power.
Confusion, overlapping, delay and waste of material were the inevitable results for a time but organization finally was perfected.
The German Red Cross is said to have been the most constantly active of all nations. Not only has it served in time of disaster, but it has undertaken a constant daily service in health and sanitary matters not only about military camps, but among the civilian population. The German First Aid organization is considered a model. Soon after the United States entered the World War there began an enormous expansion of membership and activities of the American Red Cross. With steadily increasing facilities the organization extended its work in the countries of the Allies, co-operating fully with the respective national Red Cross societies, and relieving them more and more of the burden they had carried since the beginning of the conflict. This was an entirely separate function from that of RED CROSS $457 providing for the welfare of the American Expeditionary Forces. The American Red Cross had on May 1, 1917, an enrollment of 486,000 members in 562 chapters, and on Feb. 28, 1919, there were 20,000,000 adult members in 3,724 chapters with 17,186 these twenty months the total revenues bers among school children. During these twenty months the total revenues 000 went for relief abroad, and $109,ture of $273,000,000. Of this, $164,000,- 000 went for relief abroad, and $109,- 000,000 for relief in the United States. 1000円 The re remaining $127,000,000 was used in both foreign and domestic relief during 1919.
REDEMPTIONISTS zations of the United States, Great League of Red Cross Societies, whose Britain, France, Italy and Japan, at the Committee. peacetime duties would be equivalent to Committee. will "encourage and promote in every country in the world the establishment The League's charter states that it and development of a duly authorized voluntary national Red Cross organization, having as purposes the improving of health, the prevention of disease and the mitigation of suffering, and to secure the co-operation of fare of mankind by furnishing a mefor these purposes; will promote the welof such organizations dium for bringing within reach of all peoples the benefits to be derived from present known facts and new contributions to science and medical knowledge and their application; and will furnish tional calamities." Besides the founder a medium for co-ordinating relief work and their application; and will furnish members the League included, Oct. 1, in case of great national or interna- 1920, the Red Cross organizations of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, Greece, Holland, India, New Zealand, Norway, S Holland, India, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Venezuela. Control of Ru- Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela. Control of composed of representatives of all member societies, a governing board of fifteen members and two ex-officio members.
Wartime domestic activities included the recruiting of 23,822 nurses, most of whom were inducted into the Army Nurse Corps; the formation of fifty-four base hospitals and forty-seven ambuhome service to soldiers and their dehome service to soldiers and their dependents; operation of cantonment canmotor corps. Women and children in motor corps. Women and children in chapters produced hospital supplies and than 100,000 tons of which were sent abroad.
Working on a vast scale in Belgium, England, France, Italy, Palestine, Rumania, Russia, Serbia, Siberia, Switzerland, Syria and Turkey, the American organization operated military hospitals, canteens, convalescent homes; re-educated war cripples, supervised plastic curative surgery, supplied and fitted artificial limbs, gave relief to allied prisoners of war; fed, clothed and provided medical number of whom it repatriated; rebuilt medical care for refugees, a great destroyed towns; conducted civilian hospitals, dispensaries and clinics, and carried on widespread measures against tuberculosis, typhus and other diseases.
With the dissolution of the War Council, Feb. 28, 1919, the American Red cil, Feb. 28, 1919, the American Red under the pre-war form of organization. aid to disabled and needy veterans of the World War, service for the peace time national resistance to disease through health centers, increase of the nation's nursing resources and co-operation with paredness for relief in disasters, home service and community work, and comservice and community work, and comden and war exhausted peoples abroad. As an outgrowth of co-operative work during the war, and as a necessity to meet worldwide reconstruction problems, there was formed by the national organi- Cross, Oct. 1, 1920, was 10,000,000 The enrollment in the American Red Cross, Oct. 1, 1920, was 10,000,000 China, 26,000; Denmark, 25,000; France, Argentine had 4,000; Brazil, 6,600; Japan, 1,900,000; New Zealand, 10,000; 250,000; Holland, 18,000; Italy, 300,000; Norway, 9,000; Poland, 30,000; Portu- Switzerland, 42,500; Uruguay, 300.
Japan, 1,900,000; New Zealand, 10,000; Figures for England, Canada and Australia, which have important organizations, were not available on that date. 65.0 tions, were not available on that date. tralia, which have important organizafruit, indigenous in the N. portions of Europe and America. The juice of the fruit is used for making jelly, and Europe and America. The juice of the fruit, indigenous in the N. portions of wine.
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