It is agreed by all historians that the Treaty of Geneva in 1864 was very largely the outcome of the practical labors of this Sanitary Commission. "Herald of the spirit of the Red Cross," writes Miss Mabel T. Boardman in her book on the Red Cross, "the Sanitary Commission recognized neither friend nor foe in the care of wounded men." The Treaty of Geneva is not manda tory upon any country unless the enemy's government is also one of the signatory powers.
The United States did not sign the Treaty of Geneva until 1882, although a Red Cross organization was incorpo rated in the District of Columbia in July 1881, of which Miss Clara Barton was named president, under the name Amer ican National Association of the Red Cross. In 1900 it was reincorporated by act of Congress, the charter requir ing that a financial statement should be made annually. Again in 1905 this as sociation was dissolved and a new cor poration created by act of Congress, the charter of which provides that its ac counts shall be audited by the War De partment and that an annual report shall be submitted to Congress.
In each country the Red Cross is or ganized to suit local conditions and is governed by a Central Committee. To the American Red Cross Central Com mittee the President of the United States appoints the chairman and representa tives of the Departments of State, Treas ury, War, JuAice and Navy. The incor porators—a self-perpetuating board— elect six, and the delegates of boards, chapters and affiliated bodies elect six. This committee of eighteen selects an ex ecutive committee of seven from among its own members.
Not infrequently the expression "the International Red Cross" is used, as if this were the name of some definite or ganization. There is no such interna tional order of the Red Cross except the International Committee at Geneva. The Red Cross of each country is ab solutely independent of all others ex cept in so far as it has become a member of the League of Red Cross Societies. What is required of each society is official authorization by its own govern ment to enable it to obtain the receg nition of the governments of other pow ers. The International Committee of the Red Cross consists of nine residents of Switzerland.
Every five years, up to 1912, there was held an International Red Cross confer ence, at which have been represented not only the Red Cross societies, but the gov ernments and the knightly orders of St.
John of Jerusalem and of Malta. The conference of 1902 was in Petrograd, of 1907 in London and in 1912 in Wash ington.
Immediately after the organization of the American Red Cross in 1881 it was called upon to render relief service in fires and floods which swept over numer ous sections of the United States. Al though only recently organized it did heroic work and started that form of relief now designated by congressional charter as one of its functions.
The Russian Red Cross up to the time, at least, when the government fell into the hands of the Bolshevists, was an ex tensive organization. The majority of Red Cross organizations are supported entirely by voluntary gifts, but the Russian Red Cross has also been aided by special taxes collected on theater tickets, railroad fares and passport fees.
Russia, through its Red Cross, has gen.' erously extended aid to other countries in war. It is doubtful if in any other country the women of the royal house hold and the nobility have taken a more active part.
The Japanese Red Cross has shown a rapid and wonderful development. The famous Iyeyasu said to his soldiers: "The object of battle is to disable the enemy by shooting him down, but not to torment him needlessly and inhumanly." It is said that this spirit of the old sov ereign of Japan accounts for the won derful growth of the Red Cross spirit in the Mikado's realm. Japan did not become a signatory of the Treaty of Ge neva until 1884, when the association be came the Red Cross of Japan under the patronage of the emperor and empress. The governor of every district in Japan has accepted the presidency of the local branch. In its work of preparedness the Japanese Red Cross is not surpassed by that of any other country.
The great struggle which overwhelmed Europe in 1914 put upon the Red Cross a burden almost beyond comprehension, and especially upon the French Red Cross. The French society consists of three independent branches under one central committee. The war came so suddenly that it found these branches overlapping and confusion ensued for a time. Co-ordination was soon worked out and Red Cross work was successfully prosecuted.