By this international treaty the Red Cross society is given peculiar privileges in times of war, and its agents and officers are permitted to carry on their work without hindrance from either of the belligerents, but they are prohibited from having anything, however remote, to do with military or naval operations.  They deal exclusively with the means provided to aid the wounded, relieve the suffering, and care for the sick, in all of which the Red Cross agents know neither friend nor foe.  In case of a battle the ambulances, surgeons and nurses of the society go upon the field at soon as it is possible for them to do so and carry out the work of mercy that has been undertaken.

The American society has been generous in extending its aid to other countries in times of war, and during the Franco-Prussian hostilities in 1870-71 it sent to Paris from its own funds $120,000, while the French branch expended $2,500,000.  Even the Spanish branch contributed to the humanitarian work of that war in the sum of $4,000.  In the Turko-Russian, the Tunisian, the Tonquin, the Madagascar, the Greeco-Turkish and several other wars the Red Cross has carried on its work of mercy.

Miss Clara Barton.

When the war of the Rebellion begun Miss Clara Barton was a clerk in the Patent Office in Washington, She resigned her position to devote herself to the care of wounded soldiers on the field of battle.  In 1864 she was appointed by General Butler “lady in charge” of the hospitals at the front of the Army of the James.  In 1865 she was sent to Andersonville, Georgia, to identify and mark the graves of Union soldiers buried there, and in the same year was placed by President Lincoln in charge of the search for the missing men of the Union army, and while engaged in this work she traced out the fate of 30,000 men.  In 1873 she inaugurated a movement to secure recognition of the Red Cross society by the United States government, and finally, during the administration of President Arthur, she saw her labors rewarded.  She naturally became President of the American branch of the society, which was founded in 1882, and she still holds that honored office.

Work in Cuba.

After Weyler’s infamous order of reconcentration went into effect the Red Cross society was not long in realizing that it had work to do among the suffering people of Cuba.  An appeal was made to the public, and an expedition was dispatched to the island, with Miss Barton at its head.  In speaking of her work during that reign of terror, Senator Proctor said in the course of his address to the Senate: 

“Miss Barton needs no endorsement from me.  I have known and esteemed her for many years, but had not half appreciated her capability and her devotion to her work.  I especially looked into her business methods, fearing here would be the greatest danger of mistake, that there might be want of system, and waste and extravagance, but I found that she could teach me on all those points.  I visited the warehouse where the supplies are received and distributed, saw the methods of checking, visited the hospitals established or organized and supplied by her, saw the food distributed in several cities and towns, and everything seems to me to be conducted in the best possible manner.”