In 1921 and 1925 general exhibitions of medical stores and supplies were organized at Geneva by the committee, with the participation of the army and navy medical services of various countries, national Red Cross societies and representatives of private firms. The purpose of these exhibitions was to draw attention to the international side of the question of medical stocks, and the advantage which could be derived from the adop tion of certain measures of standardization which would facilitate the use of such stocks for the relief of the sick and wounded. In this connection, in accordance with a resolution of the 12th International Red Cross conference, the committee has founded in Geneva an international institute of medical material (Institut International de materiel sanitaire), including a permanent museum of exhibits forwarded from official sources and by national Red Cross societies. This unique collection enables students of these questions to study and compare the practices of the medical services of different countries. They include specimens of different types of stretchers and of contrivances for carrying and moving wounded men, as well as specimens of bandages, identity discs and wounded men's identity cards, together with charts, photo graphs, documents, etc. In this same connection the committee has formed an international commission for the standardization of medical material, the members of which have been designated by the army medical services of different countries. The commission has met at regular intervals since 1926 and has arranged competi tions and experimented with different types of apparatus. The purpose of its work is to determine upon standard types of stretchers, racks, bandages, identity cards and Red Cross brassards.
In addition the international committee has undertaken the study of a number of questions of general humanitarian interest, such as chemical warfare, the position of non-combatants in enemy territory, the protection of air ambulances, the abuse of the Red Cross emblem, etc. The committee has been entrusted
by the International conferences with the periodical distribution of Florence Nightingale medals, which are awarded to the most deserving nurses of all countries ; and with the distribution of the interest accruing from the empress Shoken and the Augusta funds in favour of humanitarian enterprises and all activities concerned with Red Cross work.
The International Red Cross committee was formed at Geneva where it continues to have its headquarters. Its president from 1863 to 1910 was Gustave Moynier, founder of the committee. Moynier was succeeded by Gustave Ador (q.v.) who was succeeded on his death in 1928, by Max Huber (q.v.) judge and late presi dent of the Permanent Court of International Justice. The com mittee is recruited by co-optation and under the terms of its by-laws, possesses juridical personality. The international com mittee provides the national societies with inspiration, and serves to maintain contact between them and to co-ordinate their ac tivities. The principles upon which its activities are based remain as they have always been, absolute impartiality, complete inde pendence (particularly from the political and confessional stand point) and equality as between all members of the great Red Cross family. A link between the committee and the national societies is provided by a periodical publication, the Bulletin In ternational de la Croix-Rouge, supplemented since 1919 by the Revue Internationale de la Croix-Rouge, which contains articles and information concerning the different aspects of the Red Cross movement. The international committee also publishes books, pamphlets, etc., dealing with Red Cross activities. (M. H.)