League of Red Cross Societies

The functions of the league being essentially those of a clearing house, destined to enable the different national Red Cross societies to avail themselves of each other's experience, and to co-operate readily when need arises, special attention has been given by the secretariat to the problem of creating opportunities for frequent and regular contact between Red Cross representa tives from different countries. Since 1922 a system of study visits has been inaugurated under which delegates from different societies desirous of studying some particular phase of Red Cross activity, successively visit the headquarters of the league in Paris and the headquarters of such national societies in Europe as can readily afford facilities for the study in which they are interested. This system is supplemented by regular visits to the headquarters of the national societies undertaken by officers of the secretariat. A still more important innovation has been the establishment of three series of "regional" conferences. The Red Cross societies of the Far East were brought together in conference for the first time in Bangkok in 1922 and again at Tokyo in 1926. The first regional conference for the societies of central and eastern Europe was held in Warsaw in 1923 and the second in Vienna two years later. Pan-American Red Cross conferences have met in Buenos Aires in 1923 and in Washington in 1926. These meet ings have been found to facilitate the exchange of views between representatives of the Red Cross societies which are concerned with similar problems owing to the similarity of the geographic, economic and social conditions of their respective countries, besides making possible the organization of collective action in regard to such problems as in their nature transcend political boundaries.

Relief Work.—As regards the activities of the league in the various technical fields already referred to (relief, health, nursing, junior Red Cross and emigration), steady and satisfactory de velopment has taken place. The important place occupied by relief questions in the league programme is to be attributed in a great measure to the decision taken in 1924 to create a special Relief division with responsibility for preparing the ground for the work of the International Relief union referred to above. Red Cross societies are finding themselves increasingly able to handle the disaster relief problems which arise in their respectiVe countries, without foreign help; and this is to be attributed in a large measure to the technical advice and assistance furnished by the league. Nevertheless most of the outstanding natural disasters of recent years have involved an appeal for aid from abroad ; and the necessary appeal has been issued, and the resultant relief activities co-ordinated by the league either on its own responsi bility or in conjunction with the International Red Cross com mittee. Joint appeals were launched on the occasion of the Russian famine of 1921 and in connection with earthquakes in Persia, Japan and Central America. Floods in the Low Countries and elsewhere, and the critical situation created by the influx of refugees into Greece following on the exchange of populations between that country and Turkey, have also given occasion for the league's intervention in this field. Close relationship has of

course been established with scientific and other organizations interested in different phases of relief problems, in order to make the equipment of the league secretariat in this field as complete as circumstances permit.

Health.

The variety of health activities upon which national Red Cross societies are now engaged is too wide to be recapitulated in a few lines. The Health section of the league secretariat has given special attention to the collection of health propaganda material, representative specimens of which it holds at the dis posal of national societies. The loan collection of films in the league's possession is particularly well equipped as regards health films which are in constant demand. The commissions set up by the League of Nations to deal with health and child welfare problems include representatives of the League of Red Cross societies, which is also in close regular contact with other impor tant international health organizations such as the Office Inter national d'Hygiene Publzque, the International Union against the Venereal Peril, etc. The international Union against Tubercu losis has entrusted its secretariat to the Health section of the league. Special reference may be made to the league's partici pation in the anti-epidemic campaign in eastern Europe in 1920-21 and to the movement in favour of creating more favourable health conditions for merchant seamen. The initiative taken by the league in this latter connection was due to representations made by the Norwegian Red Cross in 1924. A conference at Oslo in 1926, in which a number of maritime countries were represented, drew up concrete proposals in this regard and a standing committee is following developments and keeping interest alive. The International Union against Venereal Peril grew out of a somewhat similar initiative -taken by the league in 1921 when conferences of specialists were called in Copenhagen, Prague and Paris, resulting in the formulation of a common basis for international anti-venereal work.

Nursing.

In the nursing field the league's most important contribution has been the establishment of an international nurs ing centre in London. Every year since 1920 one or more grad uate nurses from each of i o or 15 different countries has been enabled through this arrangement to follow a special course either in popular health nursing or in the work of nursing school administrators and teachers. The league has enjoyed in connec tion with these courses the collaboration of Bedford College for Women, where the courses are given, as well as that of the Col lege of Nursing. The British Red Cross has given particularly helpful collaboration in this work and has presented to the league the lease of the house in London where the students are housed. The Ministry of Health and the Board of Education have also shown their interest in this almost unique experiment. The Red Cross societies with which the league secretariat has been called upon to co-operate most closely in the development of their nursing activities include those of Albania, Colombia, Hungary and Rumania, in each of which countries Red Cross nursing schools have been inaugurated, with the help of direct assistance from the league.