RED CROSS SOCIETIES 



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RED CROSS SOCIETIES 



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name for 



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ED CROSS SOCIETIES, a general 

 a group of organizations throughout 

 the enlightened parts of the world whose ob- 

 ject, originally, was solely to render aid to sick 

 and wounded soldiers on battle fields and in 

 military hospitals, in time of wur. Their mis- 

 sion was to supplement with their trained phy- 

 sicians and nurses the work of the regular mili- 

 tary organization. Nations are not usually in a 

 state of war, and the Red Cross, as it is fa- 

 miliarly known, not many years after its or- 

 ganization also found exercise for its humani- 

 tarian impulses in relieving distress due to 

 great calamities, such as earthquakes, great 

 fires, famines and the like. 



The societies are not officially connected, but 

 they work in harmony through the Interna- 

 tional Committee for the Relief of the 

 Wounded in War. The various societies are 

 identified by the words British Red Cross, 

 German Red Cross, Italian Red Cross, etc., 

 thus certifying to the national character of the 

 organizations. The movement to prevent need- 

 less suffering in war has become so popular a 

 part of the world's work that forty-three pow- 

 ers have bound themselves by treaty to respect 

 the Red Cross and preserve its absolute neu- 

 trality when in service. So the organization 

 knows no nationality when on errands of mercy. 

 In the great War of the Nations Red Cross 

 nurses of each contending nation attended with- 

 out discrimination, on the battle field and in 

 hospitals, the wounded of all other nations. On 

 the battle field, even on the firing line, the work 

 nf tin H. .1 Cross men and women was heroic. 



The Red Cross Society of each nation is sup- 

 ported either by government appropriations or 

 by voluntary contributions, or by both. There 

 is a single symbol of the organization through- 

 out the world, with one exception, noted be- 

 low ; this speaks to all men in a universal lan- 

 guagea red cross, with wide arms of equal 

 length, on a square, white background, 

 ever that flag floats, \ t is seen painted 



on ambulances, or where it is merely a square 

 of cloth sewed to the left sleeve, it commands 

 neutrality and respect ; when gunfire is going on, 

 gunners must direct their fire so that members 

 of the Red Cross may not be purposely endan- 

 gered. There were numerous charges during the 

 War of the Nations that this rule was violated, 

 or that the flag was used by combatants to 

 deceive the enemy and screen hostile demon- 

 strations, but the world hesitates to believe 

 such reports. 



Historical. The movement was started with 

 an unofficial international conference, held at 

 Geneva, Switzerland, in 1863. The next year 

 fourteen nations negotiated a treaty which led 

 to the formation of the first societies. In 18G6, 

 in the Seven Weeks' War, in Germany, Austria 

 and Italy, the Red Cross Societies were first 

 actively engaged. Austria contributed $500,- 

 000, Germany, $3,000,000, and 500 voluir 

 entered the service. In 1870 Germany contrib- 

 uted more than $14,000,000 to be used by the 

 societies caring for the sick and wounded in the 

 Franco-German War; France gave $2,000,000, 

 and its societies ministered to more than 100,- 

 000 wounded men. In 1877-1878 Turkey, Greece, 

 Russia, Serbia and Montenegro were embroiled 

 in the Russo-Turkish War; the Red Cross 

 raised $17,000,000 to provide necessaries and at- 

 tention for the sufferers. In the Russo-Japa- 

 nese War of 1904-1905 the efficiently orpin. 

 Japanese Red Cross bore tl r burden; 



in the War of the Nations the Japanese Society 

 also furnished a corps of about fifty physicians 

 and nurses for service in Europe. In the Span- 

 ish-American War of 1898 the Amenean 1; 1 

 Cross raised by subscription $4,000,000. From 

 1914 to 1917 $3,523,297 were expended for Euro- 

 pean war relief. 



The operations of the Society in the War of 

 the Nations attained a most remarkable degree 

 of efficiency. It was the greatest opportunity 

 for service in the world's history, and the Red 

 Cross more than justified the confidence the 



