Show AMERICAN RED CROSS HOUNDS OUT YEAR tills august angust inn irked lio ito anniversary of tho the signing of tho the sonova convention which created tile tho red lied cross of tile world j the red itel cross came into being for tile purpose of neu aral lit ID time of war tile doctors and ciul bursos and hospital facilities of tile the 4 lit in conflict the plan was offered first to tho world by a younk young swiss who had v nit ed tho the battlefield of in ili northern italy where lio lie wll wit I 1 olle of tile greatest battles of tho iw age it was tile arales of antrin tell led lit in person ly by 11 kapor 0 or r Fra fronds liels joseph Joyo and of tile franco frair forces led by napoleon III and tile lio king of three lit indred thousand men cincu were ell durmant witnessed tile tho wounded loft left to dlo die upon tipon tho the battle field find himself with tile tho old did of women lit in nearby villages rescued ninny of tile lie lying dying out of lils its ex per purlei lences ices lie ho wrote a look book which immediately attracted wide attell tion proposals were drown drawn up tip for treaties between rations nations which would permit hospital anit ani medical facilities upon tho the and protect doctors and nurses nine nation signed the first treaty subsequent treaties have bo been n drawn until today there aro are BO 59 nations adhering to tile convention lit it lionor honor of dunant tho the swiss the flag of lila him native land jand whito white cross upon a red background was ro versed to make the symbol of tiercy and give tile tho infant society its name tho the american red cross Is 53 63 years old in 1869 clara Clar barton aBarton the civil war nurse visited switz erland and there met the proponents of tile tho young society iler her interest engaged she presented the treaty of genova geneva to the american government when she returned home hut but it 11 was not lot until 1882 that she succo succeeded oded in ili having america join tile confederation of humanitarian nations grouped under tho the re lied d cross banner thero aia tiva international vil groups of tho rod ae ass tho inter infer national committee of geneva which arranges the exchange of f war prisoners and la Is tho the governing body under tile the treaties unit and tile tho league of rod red cross so clettles clett las with headquarters in ili para france which promotes the peacetime activities of tho the red cross societies of 0 tho the world while all red cross societies of tho the nations belong to these international bodies each nation operates its IN own organization independently the president of the american red cross Is the ilia president of tho the united states while it la Is a governmental nongovernmental non boly body yet of I 1 ita governing board of eighteen members one third are named by the president of the united states tho the american red cross la is chartered by congress and its finances aro audited annually by tho the war department the policies of the organizations are set by its ita central committee composed of prominent men and women national headquarters are maintained at washington D 0 ca O with branch offices at st louls louis and san francisco tile organization hasi haa chapters and these chap chapters tors havo have branches tho the organization la Is supported support ot through memberships of oil all of our citizens |