Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1915 — WORK OF RED GROSS [ARTICLE]

WORK OF RED GROSS

Organized to Give Relief in Time of War. International 'Treaty, a Very Explicit Law, a Presidential Proclamation and Army and Navy Orders Regulate Aid to Wounded. By Brigadier General C. A. Devol, U. S. A., Acting Chairman. Washington.—The American Red Cross is in receipt of inquiries indicating that there is a lack of understanding in regard to relief work in time of war. There is an international treaty, a very explicit law, a presidential proclamation, and duly promulgated orders of the war and navy departments relating to the furnishing of volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war. It apparently is not fully realized that war relief work must be accomplished, under definite regulations; that a precise plan of action was long ago adopted, and that a nation-wide, officially recognized and chartered relief organization, with departments designed to meet every phase of war relief work, exists. The conduct of war is regulated by certain well-established and recognized rules that are usually designated as “the laws of war" which comprise the rules, both written and unwritten, for carrying on of war, both on land and at sea. Should there ever come-a time when the United States would be Involved in war it would be imperative to enforce with the utmost stringency the law, and the executive and departmental orders governing the use of the Red Cross emblem and the functions of the government’s chartered, supervised apd systematized volunteer relief association. All volunteer aid must come under the direction of the American Red Cross in such a contingency to carry out the obligation of the United States under the treaty of Geneva, to fulfill all requirements imposed by congress, to secure efficiency under centralized authority and trained organization in close affiliation with the army and navy medical service, and finally to

safeguard the American public against fraud and abuse. It should be understood that the surgeon generals of the United States army and njrvy are appointed by the president of the United. States to represent these departments in relief work. They are members of the American Red Cross executive committee, and chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the war relief board. AU accounts of the American Red Cross are required by law to be audited by the war department and an annual report, also required by law, detailing the activities of the organization, is made to congress by the chairman of the central committee. It may be seen from this that the American Red Cross machinery would be set in motion at once and that its activities would be definitely co-ordinated with the legislative and executive work of the government in time of war. Merely as an example of its preparedness in one branch of its organization, there are 6,000 enrolled American Red Cross graduate nurses who have been accepted by the war department as the army nursing reserve corps. The war department and the navy department long ago formulated regulations governing completely the duties and functions of the American National Red Cross with reference to rendering aid to the land and naval forces in time of actual or threatened war. The sign of the Red Cross is protected by law and the fraudulent use thereof is punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.

President Taft in 1911, by proclamation to the army, stated briefly the relations that must exist between the military departments of the government and volunteer relief in the event of war. General Orders, No. 170, war department, 1911, publishes the proclamation, stating in effect that the American National Red Cross is the only volunteer society authorized by this government to render aid to its land and naval forces in time of war; and that any other society desiring to render similar assistance can do so only through the American National Red Cross; that to comply with the requirements of Article 10 of the International Red Cross Convention of 1906 (revision of the Treaty ot Geneva) that part of the American National Red Cross rendering aid to the naval forces will continue a part of the sanitary service therof. The law, approved January 5, 1905, as amended, which chartered the American National Red Cross, stipulates as follows: Sec. 3. That the purpose of this corporation are and shall be: First. To furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war, in accordance with the spirit and conditions of the conference of Geneva of October, 1863, and also of the treaty of the Red Cross or the treaty of Geneva of August 22, 1864, to which the United States of America gave its adhesion on March 1, 1882.

Fourth. To act in matters of voluntary relief and in accord with the military and naval authorities as a medium of communication between the people*of the United States of America and their army and navy, and to act in such matters between similar national societies of other governments through th©,.-'Comite Internatipnal de Secours, and the government and the people and the army and navy of the United States of America.