INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS CONFERENCES International Red Cross conferences meet at regular intervals and include representatives of the Governments signatory to the Geneva Convention, together with representatives of national Red Cross societies and of the International committee of Ge neva. The first of these conferences met in Paris, in 1867; the second in Berlin, in 1869; the third in Geneva, in 1884; the fourth at Karlsruhe, in 1887; the fifth in Rome, in 1892; the sixth in Vienna, in 1897; the seventh in St. Petersburg, in 1902 ; the eighth in London, in 1907; and the ninth in Washington, in 1912; the cth, th and 12th international conferences, like the third, were held in Geneva, it being considered that after the World War, as of ter the war of 1870, advantage was to be de rived from bringing representatives of the different Red Cross societies together in an atmosphere of perfect neutrality. Peace conditions having now resumed, the International Red Cross conferences will again meet each time in a different capital; the 13th international conference was convoked to meet at The Hague in Oct. 1928. These conferences provide the opportunity for the systematic development of the original Red Cross programme. The resolutions of the international conferences constitute the basis of the activities of the International Red Cross committee, and other matters dealt with have included the relations between national societies and their respective Governments, the activi ties of national societies in peace and war and the functions of the Red Cross in maritime warfare. Attention has also been given by the conferences to questions of personnel and material, hospi tals, prisoners of war and the organization of disaster relief. Resolutions and recommendations have been drawn up regarding the position of non-combatants in enemy territory, chemical war fare, the reduction of the number of casualties reported "miss ing" in wartime, the protection of air ambulances against attack, the use of the Red Cross emblem, civil war, the limitation of war, _ .
and other questions.
The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 under the name American Association of the Red Cross, and was incorpo rated in 1905 as The American National Red Cross. The presi dent of the United States became its president, and the war department its auditor. Early in the World War the Red Cross offered through the State department the aid of its trained per sonnel and contributions of hospital supplies to every belligerent country. This offer was accepted by almost all belligerents. A public appeal was made for funds, and soon large quantities of hos pital supplies and about 200 nurses were sent to England, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Serbia and Russia. Seventy-one physi cians and surgeons were also sent, and a special sanitary commis sion went to Siberia to fight the typhus plague there. The value of relief supplies sent to Europe by the Red Cross before the United States entered the war was more than $1,500,00o, of which about $350,000 worth went to Germany and Austria. In May 1917 after America's entry into the war, President Wilson appointed a special Red Cross war council under H. P. Davison to direct the activities of the organization during the war. A popular campaign for a special war fund realized $100,000,000 in a week. The service was reorganized and quickly expanded from 500,000 members in 500 chapters to over 16,000,000 members. A further week's drive in
May 1918 realized $170,000,000, and the grand total, 1917-18, exceeded $400,000,000.
The American Red Cross recruited, organized and equipped hos pitals and ambulance units, assisted in the care of the sick and wounded in emergencies, and provided nurses for the army and navy. It supplied comforts, clothing, medical supplies and surgical dressings, ran canteens, assisted the families of soldiers and sailors, photographed graves, etc. It supported 5o base hospital units, 4o overseas ambulance companies, over 23,000 trained nurses. a women's volunteer motor corps of 14,000 members, 92 convales cent homes in the training and embarkation camps, 130 canteens, 24 military hospitals and 12 convalescent hospitals in France, 33 canteens in Italy, 28 military hospitals and 82 canteens in Bel ilium. The "civilian relief abroad" to the European populations was on a vast scale. $1,000,000 a month were spent on relief to French and Belgian refugees in France, including help to over 150 national and local French organizations. Over 30,00o tuberculosis patients were helped and a large children's welfare movement run. Substantial assistance was given in Russia; also in Belgium, Italy, Rumania, Serbia and Greece. The relief expenses included $28, 978,000 in America, $57,207,000 in France, $63,841,000 elsewhere overseas. A total of ioi,000 tons of relief supplies were sent over seas; 3,78o French and over 1,500 Italian hospitals assisted. The value of the relief articles produced by volunteer workers during the war was estimated at nearly $100,000,000. (G. A.) At the close of the war a peace-time programme was inaugu rated, continuing relief work in destitute European countries, providing aid for disabled veterans and ex-service men and enlarg ing the scope of the various Red Cross services. Outstanding in this programme has been the comprehensive development of a disaster relief service which makes possible an instant response to calls for help when fire, flood, storm or famine occurs. Not only has aid been given in hundreds of disasters in this country, with the Red Cross in complete charge of the relief, but financial aid has been given to scores of foreign countries suffering disasters which they were unable to handle alone. Authorization for this work is given in the congressional charter of 1905 which stipulates that the organization, in addition to furnishing volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in the time of war, shall "continue and carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and to apply the same in mitigating the suffering caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods and other great national calam ities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." It is primarily for the purpose of maintaining an organi zation able to move instantly to the relief of disaster-stricken communities that the Red Cross keeps its executive machine well oiled and strengthened by a diversified and valuable programme in other fields during times when no great disaster is being suf fered. These services include a public health nursing programme; instructions in first aid and life-saving ; a nutrition service ; the Junior Red Cross; volunteer nursing and war service. In times of national disaster the personnel of all of these divisions directs its attention to the relief of the sufferers.