Chapter II: Part 2

Tents 1 2 3 4 5 6
Cots 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mattresses 1 2 3 4 5 6
Blankets 1 2 3 4 5 6
Towels 1 2 3 4 5 6
Wash Basins 1 2 3 4 5 6
Stoves 1 2 3 4 5 6
Buckets 1 2 3 4 5 6
Pots and Pans 1 2 3 4 5 6
Knives and Forks 1 2 3 4 5 6
Spoons 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plates 1 2 3 4 5 6
Cups 1 2 3 4 5 6
Lanterns 1 2 3 4 5 6
Chairs 1 2 3 4 5 6
Soap 1 2 3 4 5 6

The issuing of these cards has reduced the number of repeaters and has been of great assistance in the systematizing of the relief work.

General Bates in his report to the President of the American National Red Cross states later that a further economic and salutary measure has been adopted in the establishment at the different camps and relief stations of large kitchens and dining halls or sheds where a contractor buying the supplies from the relief committee furnishes three cooked meals a day, and in case of all persons, excepting those who are entirely destitute, these meals are sold at ten or fifteen cents each. It is the opinion of the officers in charge of this work, which is just inaugurated, that within a few days, the greater majority of the people getting relief from the Committee in this manner will pay for it. General Bates also says, “I think it would be quite impossible for any one, without having been on the ground or having had a similar experience in some other place, to appreciate the enormous difficulties that these people have had to contend with. In the first place their three days’ battle with the fire was as horrible, excepting as to loss of life, as any of the critical battles of the world. During that time, with the water cut off from the city, the impossibility to arrest fire by means of dynamiting and blowing up districts so that the fire should have nothing to feed upon, the suffering and horror of turning two hundred thousand or more people from their homes into the streets, with nothing to eat and nothing to drink was simply appalling and notwithstanding the gigantic task that lay before them, I think from what I learn, that it is safe to say that no one has suffered from hunger or neglect.”

This is only a brief and partial report of the beginning and progress of the relief in California, but it conveys some idea of the methods adopted in the accomplishing of this great work.

Up to the date of going to press the various State Branches have contributed the following amounts:

Connecticut $119,094.74
Delaware 18,900.00
District of Columbia 58,911.01
Georgia 200.00
Illinois 144,818.55
Indiana 34.032.16
Maine 5,607.02
Maryland 100,000.00
Massachusetts 64,877.25
Michigan 27,500.00
Missouri 143,000.00
New York 510,000.00
Ohio 62,967.45
Pennsylvania 129,600.00
Rhode Island 87,000.00
South Carolina 1,000.00
Wyoming 1,694.60

THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE RED CROSS SOCIETIES

_To the Presidents and Members of the Central Committees of the Red Cross_:

GENEVA, _March 20, 1906_.

GENTLEMEN:

In accordance with an established tradition, duly confirmed by the last Congress held in St. Petersburg, it is the duty of the International Committee to concern itself in due time with the reunion of the International Meetings, which periodically bring together the delegates of all the National Societies of the Red Cross.

The British Society not having heretofore been called upon to entertain the sister organizations of other countries, we addressed ourselves to the London Committee: We have the pleasure of announcing to our honorable correspondents that this Committee accepted the mandate which we proposed it should assume.

The next International Congress of the Red Cross Societies will therefore convene in London, 1907, during the week beginning June 10th.

You will unite with us Gentlemen, will you not, in addressing publicly to the British Society, the expression of our sincere gratitude for the invitation extended to us, assuring it at the same time of the zeal with which we will favorably respond.

It is important that these periodical occasions, the only ones which afford to our Societies the opportunity to strengthen the bands which unite them, by personal and instructive intercourse, should be as largely attended as possible and that no Society, however modest it be, should fail to have itself represented.

The British Society which has so recently been called upon to reap such a rich harvest in the field of Volunteer Aid, will doubtless have important communications to make to its guests; moreover its organization and peculiar workings, will offer an ample subject of study to delegates assembled to perfect their knowledge in the line of aid to wounded soldiers.

It seems of interest to us, to trace in a few lines, the origin of this Society, thereby learning to know it in advance, because few countries have shown as much zeal and expended as much money in succoring wounded soldiers, as Great Britain. This Society owes its existence to the Members of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who conceived the idea in April, 1869. It was regularly incorporated August 4, 1870. Its operations were confined at the outset, in time of peace, to the training of nurses, but in time of war, it played an important and beneficent part in sending aid in money, or in kind, by furnishing detachments of nurses, not only for the wars in which England participated, but also for those in which she was not engaged.

In 1899 a British Central Committee of the Red Cross was created, uniting the delegates of the National Society for Aid to the Wounded, the Ambulance of St. John and the Reserve Corps of Army Nurses, to serve as a bond between these three institutions and for the purpose of distributing in time of war, all voluntary relief contributions, whether made in personal service, in materials or in funds. It was destined to enlarge the sphere of action and of influence of the British Red Cross, and to neutralize the efforts of all the Relief Societies of the country. The Chairman of the National Society, Lord Wantage, was placed at the head of this Central Committee, and the new combination proved efficacious and useful in the Anglo-Boer War, where the Volunteer Sanitary Service played such an important part.

Finally in 1905 a new transformation became operative. Lord Wantage, deceased in 1901, was succeeded by Lord Rothschild. A committee presided over by the latter, under the auspices of the Queen and in response to an appeal made by her, was charged with the work of rendering more effective the concentration of all British Societies concerned with Relief Work amongst the sick and wounded in the Army. The efforts of this committee of organization have resulted in an association which assures to the Red Cross in Great Britain, the position it should occupy. Lord Rothschild is Chairman of the Executive Committee. We will undoubtedly be able in the next issue of the “Bulletin” to give more complete details concerning this entirely recent institution.

The Headquarters of the British Red Cross Society are at 9 Victoria St., London, S. W.

The program of each Congress is as you know, finally arranged by the Committee of the Country acting as host, according to the subjects suggested by the other National Societies and also by those which it desires itself to discuss. We therefore request you to inform the British Society directly and at your earliest convenience, of the questions you would wish to see appear on the program for deliberation. The British Society in transmitting to you the final program, will give full, practical and necessary directions.

In accordance with resolutions passed at St. Petersburg, an exhibition will be held in connection with the next Congress, with the object of showing the technical progress made in relief methods. Moreover the prize founded by the Empress Marie-Feodorovna, will be awarded for the first time, to the authors of the best inventions for alleviating the sufferings of sick and wounded soldiers.[1] The inventions to be shown at the aforesaid exhibition. The jury charged with awarding the prize is composed of eight members, of which two are named by right, one by the Russian Central Committee, the other by the International Committee; besides these, the Central Committees charged with designating in 1907, each a member of the jury, are those of Germany, Austria, Great Britain, France, Italy and Holland.

Finally, and in conformity with a decision of the last Congress, we invite those of the Red Cross Societies which have not yet informed us of how far they have been able to carry out the wishes and the resolutions adopted in St. Petersburg, to do so at once, or at least to notify the London Committee in time to enable them to present a report on the matter to the Eighth Congress.

Having given ourselves the pleasure of announcing the gracious invitation which the British Red Cross Society intends addressing to you, with the special communications which it will send to you directly, we beg to renew to that Society the expression of our gratitude and to present to you, Gentlemen, the assurance of our most distinguished sentiments.

For the International Committee of the Red Cross:

G. MOYNIER, _President_.
E. ODIER, _Secretary_.
GUSTAVE ADOR, _Vice-President_.

[1] Article 2 of the regulations of the Empress’ Fund. See Bulletin of the International Red Cross Committee, xxxiii, p. 143.

THE ABUSE OF THE RED CROSS INSIGNIA

The rapidly increasing prominence and importance of the Red Cross will still further tend to the abuse of its insignia. Unfortunately in the United States the use of this insignia, created for the special purpose of identifying and protecting in time of war those caring for the sick and wounded, ambulances, hospitals and hospital equipments, has never been properly safeguarded as has been done in most other countries which are signatory powers of the treaty of Geneva, and which recognize the necessity for the protection of this insignia.

A number of manufactured articles bear as a trademark this insignia, their manufacturers having obtained from the Patent Office, previous to the reincorporation of the Red Cross, a legal right to such use. Others using that mark claim a right to use it because they had used it previous to the granting of the charter. In a number of cases their attention being called to the clause of the charter intending to prevent as far as possible this use of the Red Cross for purposes of trade, manufacturers and others have kindly and promptly abandoned their use of it. In other cases the request to desist from its use—it might be called its abuse—was refused.

In two cases that have been brought to the notice of the Executive Committee so-called training schools for nurses that provide, in one case a course of a few weeks with no hospital experience, and in another a training by correspondence only, called their nurses Red Cross nurses. As it is the object of the National Red Cross to enroll among its nurses only such as have had a regular two or three years’ course with hospital training, and whose efficiency and character have been thoroughly vouched for so that our American National Red Cross nurses will rank as highly as do the Red Cross nurses in many of the other countries, this use of the Red Cross by such institutions as those mentioned above must act as a strong detriment to the National Red Cross and prove especially injurious to its efforts to secure the enrollment of the highest class of trained nurses.

Red Cross nurses are enrolled for service in time of war or of great calamity as provided in the charter and a false impression is conveyed when nurses not enrolled by the National Red Cross make use of this name of Red Cross nurse. There can be in each country but one Red Cross Society as recognized by the International Red Cross Committee of Geneva upon proof that the Society has received official recognition from the Government of its own country and only its nurses are really Red Cross nurses, so that all others using this name convey to the public a false impression that they are nurses of the Red Cross.

Public opinion should most strongly oppose the abuse of the Red Cross insignia, and its use, save for the purposes for which it was created, earnestly discountenanced. The members of the Red Cross are requested to report to the Executive Committee all such use of the Red Cross, not connected with the National Society, that may come within their cognizance. The Society has a list of those manufacturers who obtained the Red Cross as a trademark previous to its reincorporation under the present charter in January, 1905. It should be the duty of every American to see to it that in our country this Red Cross insignia, created for so beneficient a purpose, is protected as far as possible from the degradation of becoming a mere advertisement for money making designs.

NOTES

On April 16th the Headquarters of the American National Red Cross were moved to the office, room 341, provided for them in the Surgeon-General’s Division of the War Department. Through the kindness of Mr. F. A. Keep some new articles of furniture were purchased for the office, and the more spacious quarters and better equipment for office work have proved of the greatest advantage in the large amount of additional labor entailed by the San Francisco Relief.

* * * * *

The delegates appointed by the U. S. Government to represent it at the Convention of Geneva for the Revision of the Red Cross Treaty, held June, 1906, are Brigadier-General George B. Davis, Judge Advocate General of the U. S. Army; Brigadier-General Robert M. O’Reilly, Surgeon-General of the U. S. Army, who is also Chairman of the Red Cross Central Committee; Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, U. S. Navy, and Colonel William Cary Sanger, President of the New York Red Cross Branch. A report for the Bulletin on the revisions agreed upon by this Convention will be made by one of the U. S. delegates.

* * * * *

Since the publication of the last Bulletin the following new State Branches have been organized:

Colorado.—President, C. C. Hemming; Secretary, W. DeF. Curtis; Trustees, John A. Thatcher, Pueblo; F. B. Gibson, Denver.

Indian Territory.—President, Dr. F. B. Fite; Vice-Presidents, Hon. D. H. Johnston, Chief Chickasaw Nation; Hon. John Brown, Chief Seminole Nation; Hon. W. C. Rogers, Chief Cherokee Nation; Hon. Green McCurtain, Chief Choctaw Nation; General P. Porter, Chief Creek Nation; Secretary, Dr. Fred S. Clinton; Treasurer, J. H. McBirney.

Minnesota.—President, Governor John A. Johnson; Vice-Presidents, Dr. Cyrus Northrup, Archbishop John Ireland, Hon. David Percy Jones, Hon. William H. Lacid, Rev. A. W. Ryan; Secretary, Edward C. Stringer; Treasurer, Kenneth Clark; Chairman of Executive Committee, Hon. Daniel R. Noyes.

Missouri.—President, J. C. Van Blarcom; Vice-Presidents, Hon. John W. Noble (1st), Robert A. Holland, Jr., (2d); Secretary, Leighton Shields; Treasurer not yet designated.

North Carolina.—President, Mrs. Zepulon B. Vance; Vice-Presidents, Dr. S. Westray Battle and James H. Caine; Secretary, and Treasurer, Mrs. Theodore F. Davidson.

Texas.—President, Mrs. Mary Sherman Allen; 1st Vice-President, John A. Ewton; 2d Vice-President, M. P. Exline; 3d Vice-President, Mrs. Sarah Danover; 4th Vice-President, Mrs. C. Burton Griggs; Treasurer, Royal A. Ferris; Secretary, Mrs. Green Scheyler Hill.

Washington.—President, Mr. John T. Redman; Vice-Presidents, Captain E. G. Griggs and Dr. Carsley Balabanoff; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Henry McCleary; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. James W. Cloes; Treasurer, Mr. Louis W. Pratt.

* * * * *

The records of the Philippine Red Cross Branch show a membership of 119 annual and 4 life members.

On December 30th there died at Manila Captain Joaquin Monet of the Manila police force as the direct result of a cold contracted in the performance of duty during the tornado which devastated Manila and particularly his precinct, Paso, on the 26th day of last September, when for twenty-four hours he worked without changing his wet clothing, amidst live electric wires, in the ravages of storm and flood, to protect property and to relieve the sufferings and fears of people under his care. He left a widow and children, and as there is no provision for pensions for the families of men who give themselves at the call of duty, the Philippine Red Cross Society decided to appropriate out of its relief funds $15.00 a month for six months for the support of this man’s family, and the Secretary of the Philippine Red Cross writes: “Had you relieved only this one case it is worth the while to have founded here a Branch of the National Red Cross.”

* * * * *

Hon. A. C. Kaufman, President of the South Carolina Branch of the Red Cross, writes as follows:

The formation and management of a Red Cross Branch, in this
section, has called for extreme diplomacy, conservatism and
caution. Our effort has been to place this Branch upon a
high plane, following closely the standard of the parent
organization.

By pursuing this course, we have established confidence in the
movement, and have won friends in every portion of the State.
That has been clearly demonstrated in our ability to secure
as a Vice-President, from each of the seven Congressional
Districts, in South Carolina, gentlemen of exalted standing in
the social, professional and business walks of life.

The following is a complete list of the Vice-Presidents of
the South Carolina Branch: First Congressional District, Maj.
Theodore G. Barker, Charleston; Second Congressional District,
Hon. D. S. Henderson, Aiken; Third Congressional District, Rev.
James A. B. Scherer, Ph.D., Newberry; Fourth Congressional
District, Rev. Robert P. Pell, Litt D., Spartanburg; Fifth
Congressional District, Col. Leroy Springs, Lancaster; Sixth
Congressional District, Hon. W. D. Morgan, Georgetown; Seventh
Congressional District, Hon. W. C. Benet, Columbia.

Again, we have done well under the circumstances, in
contributions that have come to us, in aid of sufferers of
Japan, Italy and San Francisco. Our purpose was, not to go
around begging alms, but to trust to the generosity of our
fellow citizens, and thereby to test their confidence in us,
as representatives of this great International body. The
success of this plan has been shown in the reports that have
been made by us to the National Headquarters. Every penny we
have accounted for has been a voluntary gift, that has come to
us, not been run after. This dignified course has produced a
marked effect upon the people of the State who have witnessed
this well ordered procedure. This plan may have diminished
somewhat the amount of our receipts, but it has raised the
organization very high in the estimation and respect of the
entire citizenship of our State.

The Branch is now in a most healthy and flourishing condition
and we feel proud of the position it occupies in the brilliant
galaxy of Red Cross Branches.

* * * * *

The Secretary of the Michigan Branch, Mr. R. M. Dyar, writes under date of June 6:

We have adopted a method for increasing our membership of
getting in communication with men in small towns, who acted
as Treasurer or Chairman of local relief committees for the
San Francisco Fund, our idea being to appoint such men as
Vice-Presidents and to have them decide on becoming members
themselves, and endeavor to secure additional members in their
cities or towns.

* * * * *

The following is a list of the Sub-divisions of the Massachusetts Branch, with the officers of each:

Worcester County.—Chairman, Charles G. Washburn; Treasurer, Dr. Homer Gage; Secretary, Mrs. Lincoln W. Kinnicutt.

Berkshire County.—President, Judge John C. Crosby; Vice-President, Rev. J. C. Smoots; Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. Alfreda B. Withington; Executive Committee: Dr. J. F. A. Adams, Mrs. H. A. Brewster, Miss Julia W. Redfield, Rev. James Boyle, Pittsfield; Mrs. W. Murray Crane, Jr., Dalton; Miss Cornelia Barnes, Lenox; Miss Caroline T. Lawrence, Stockbridge; Mrs. William Stanley, Great Barrington.

Hampden County.—President, Mr. George Dwight Pratt; Treasurer, Mr. Ralph P. Alden; Secretary, Miss Amy B. Alexander.

A Division is being organized in Essex County, of which Gen. Francis H. Appleton will be Chairman and Mr. W. O. Chapman, of the Asiatic Bank, Salem, Treasurer.

The Secretary of the Massachusetts Branch, Miss Katherine P. Loring, reports that, “A man has been representing himself as an agent of the Red Cross and has been begging for subscriptions for our purposes. We have put notices in the newspapers and have notified the police that we never employ agents.”

* * * * *

The Connecticut Branch reports six Sub-divisions and another in process of formation. They have a total membership of 900, including 89 life members. Of the foregoing membership four hundred are members of the Norwich Society.

The Secretary of the Connecticut Branch of the Red Cross in a letter dated June 12th states that the Bristol Sub-division, which is composed of twenty-five boys, members of a Sunday-school class, accomplished wonders in their efforts in behalf of the unfortunate people of California. They not only collected and shipped to California clothing, blankets, linen, etc., amounting to 1272 pieces, but contributed in cash $1,235.04. No better work than this has been done by any organization, and as Mrs. Kinney says—good for the boys!

The New York State Branch now has twelve sub-divisions. Since the April number of the Bulletin, four new sub-divisions have been organized, namely: Chautauqua County, Columbia County, Duchess County and New York County. It is probable that organization will be effected soon in Chemung, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties. Work is now progressing and organization is under consideration in seven other Counties, namely: Broome, Greene, Orange, Nassau, Suffolk, Tompkins and Jefferson.

The membership of the sub-divisions is as follows:

Albany County 100
Brooklyn 267
Buffalo 80
Chautauqua County 11
Columbia County 52
Duchess County 59
Islip Township 144
New York County 587
North Westchester County 51
Oneida County 186
Rochester 30
Syracuse 20

In other counties of the State there are forty-nine members, making the total membership for the State, so far as reported on June 16th, one thousand, six hundred and thirty-six.

The Americans in London sent through the Honorable Whitelaw Reid, the American Ambassador, $20,000.00 for the California Fund.

The New York County Sub-division opened two clothing depots where contributions of clothing were received, assorted, repacked and shipped, sending 181 cases to San Francisco. During the first three weeks every night a list of supplies that day shipped or en route was sent to Dr. Devine. Service was also systematically arranged in telegraphing inquiries for missing relatives and friends and forwarding the information when received. The business public evinced the greatest interest and most practical coöperation in the relief work by furnishing free service and by lending or giving ample equipment to carry on the work.

The work of the State Branch has so increased as to render it necessary to move into a larger office—Room No. 507—in the same building, No. 500 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH HEADQUARTERS.

PHILADELPHIA, Independence Hall Building, _June 14, 1906_.

We awoke the day after the earthquake horrified to read in the
morning papers that California had been devastated and San
Francisco was in flames. It needed no second reading to know
that a call for help would soon reach us, so our officers and
executive committee reported to our State Headquarters where
soon the expected telegram from Washington was received. It
was a brief message instructing us to issue an appeal and
appoint local treasurers.

Our official printer, who, by special arrangement, is obligated
to take our copy and run on our emergency work night and day,
was in a few hours delivering to headquarters the necessary
printed matter.

“The Society for Organizing Charities,” represented by Miss
Richmond and Mr. Esterbrook, volunteered to do the addressing
of our appeals and at an hour’s notice had more than a score of
their splendid young lady volunteers addressing and mailing our
Red Cross appeal, using their Charity list of fifteen thousand
selected names.

By a wise arrangement our Secretary is authorized to make
emergency expenditures subject to reimbursement at later
meeting of the Executive Committee, so the postage alone of
some $300 was made instantly available from his personal funds.

In all such appeals it is vital to determine the psychological
moment of greatest effect and the force of our appeal was at
its highest on Monday morning following the reading of the
Sunday papers.

An early call was sent to each city daily and evening newspaper
and a publicity department was established where all telegrams,
letters, abstracts and daily subscription lists were furnished
in typewritten copy to all reporters. Such returns must
be made quickly and we kept a regular volunteer force of
messengers taking reports at certain convenient intervals to
newspaper headquarters. These State Headquarters realizing the
necessity and value of the coöperation of the towns, other
than Philadelphia, throughout the commonwealth, promptly
acted upon the suggestion of President Talcott Williams and
the Secretary who were in daily conference with heads of
all departments. A telegram was therefore sent to some two
hundred towns throughout the State, addressing the leading
bank, or trust company, asking them to confer with their
Mayor or Chief Burgess as chairman, appointing a Red Cross
Committee, and with aid of local newspapers to publish a fund
and solicit subscriptions, same to be promptly forwarded to
State Treasurer, Mrs. Alexander J. Cassatt, at Philadelphia,
who daily deposited the amounts received for transmission to
Washington. An immediate response was forthcoming from some
score of towns and in a few days the funds were massing up.

This secured the hearty interest and coöperation of thousands
of citizens of the State and established the groundwork of Red
Cross Sub-Branches in every city, hamlet and village.

The State Headquarters, at Philadelphia, in the old
Independence Hall Building, with its Executive Committee and
volunteer clerks, stenographers and messengers was a busy
office for the three weeks following the disaster.

Our facilities were admirable to the purpose. The two telephone
companies, the Bell and Keystone, gave us free of cost each
three extra telephones of unlimited service. The Postal
and Western Union Telegraph companies franked our official
messages. The Adams, United States and Wells Fargo Express
companies sent forward our packages free of charge and the
Relief Trains of the _North American_ and _Evening Telegraph_
put their cars at our disposal, and sent their wagons for our
heavy freight, thereby greatly assisting us with a matter that
was assuming serious proportions.

The Ladies’ Auxiliary Committees under the able advice of
Mrs. John Dye, herself a veteran nurse of the Civil War and a
trained Red Cross worker of the Spanish War, took full charge
of the packing and inspection of all materials submitted and
nothing of worthless or inappropriate kind went forward bearing
the tag of the Pennsylvania Branch.

It was an honor and privilege extended our Secretary to act in
conjunction with the National body in the purchase of large
quantities of Army Blankets from local mills. These vital
essentials were early despatched by rush express to the Red
Cross Field Agents in San Francisco and thus can the State
Branches assist the great National Headquarters in other ways
than the forwarding of funds alone.

An item of a thousand baby nursing bottles and a dozen boxes of
infant necessaries and a shipment of condensed milk for future
’Frisco citizens shows that the little ones were also well
remembered.

In Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other of our large cities there
has existed for years many splendid and efficient Permanent
Relief and Citizens Emergency Committees all of whom, with
the many trades organizations, were early in the field with
their appeals. Though the millions of dollars thus raised were
speedily and properly expended it yet served to exhaust the
giving power of many who would have gladly subscribed to the
Red Cross appeal.

This serves to urge us to the immediate completion of a
full State organization of Sub-divisions, and any of our
Pennsylvania citizens reading this would help our cause should
they proceed to organize local bodies and address these
Headquarters for instructions.

It is impossible in so brief a report to mention the many
incidents of our “California Earthquake and San Francisco Fire
Appeal” as we called it. The pathetic letters, the sad plight
of the refugees who came to us for succor and employment, of
our inquiries for the dead and missing, of the free telegraphic
bureau and of the letters written by the many who called to ask
a seemingly hopeless question. Nor must we overlook thanking
Dr. Devine for his quick and always satisfactory replies to our
inquiries. The marvel of it all is that it was possible to so
quickly bring the relief work to such a state of high potential
efficiency, conclusive and splendid record of the success of
the National Red Cross and its responsible State Branches. In a
later report we will send you a list of the Pennsylvania State
towns with their financial statements of subscriptions sent
through these Headquarters. We wish now to thank the citizens
of the entire State and particularly of those cities that
responded so promptly and so liberally.

“Who gives quickly gives twice.”

Very respectfully yours,

JOSEPH ALLISON STEINMETZ.
_Secretary for Pennsylvania._

The National Secretary received the following letter from Miss Emily P. Bissell, Secretary of the Delaware Branch, who is making a tour of Europe:

ROME, _May 27, 1906_.

MR. CHARLES L. MAGEE, _Secretary the American National Red
Cross, Washington, D. C._

MY DEAR MR. MAGEE:

I am sorry to say that I could not find out anything much about
Red Cross relief work in Naples. When I landed there on May
8th, the eruption of Vesuvius was a thing of the past. The
streets were all cleaned up, the roads open, and the people who
had at first crowded into the city from the destroyed towns
had all been sent back or away. I went to the Red Cross rooms,
and was shown the garments for distribution, which a committee
of ladies had been attending to. That was the only sign of
activity there, and only one man, and he not an official, but a
subordinate, was in the rooms. He told me all the relief work
now carried on was in the towns themselves—Bosco Tre Case and
Ottajano. So I started off for them next day.

Bosco Tre Case is very easy to reach and to examine. The road
is clear, up to where the mass of lava has blocked the railway.
The officers of the municipality, three in number, were
standing at the entrance of the road into the village, with a
plate, asking contributions from the tourists, who were driving
through in numbers. The lava, a black, rough mass, covering
fields, and what had been houses, was still smoking. But its
path was not very wide, this village only being destroyed, and
on each side of it the fields were in their usual state. The
destruction in the path of the lava was absolutely complete,
of course. I could not find any Red Cross people there, so I
drove on to Pompeii, and took the next train to Ottajano. As
we went up toward Ottajano, the ashes began to show in the
fields. At first only a thin gray dust, they increased as we
ascended. It was a pitiful sight, the vineyards and orchards
dying in the ashes. It was like a tremendous snowfall, with
drifts here and there, but smooth in most places. For miles,
the vineyards are three feet deep in ashes. Here and there,
women and children, with small baskets on their heads, were
laborously carrying away the ashes and dumping them on the
side of the roads. But it would be about as easy to empty Lake
Erie with a tablespoon. At Ottajano, I found the army and the
Red Cross in full control. Seven hundred homeless people are
here cared for. One thousand have been sent to friends or to
America, or scattered here and there where work can be found
for them. The Red Cross people said that it was impossible to
tell how long those who remained would have to be looked after.
Perhaps six months would not be enough. Three hundred was too
large an estimate, they said, of those killed in the eruption;
but certainly over one hundred had perished, and very likely
many more. The soldiers and the men were at work digging ashes,
and casting them away on tiny freight cars. The women were
sitting in groups, with nothing to do. Some sewing is now being
given out by the Red Cross. The houses are full of ashes to the
second story, and the roofs either gone altogether, or broken
and unsafe from the weight of the ashes on them. The Red Cross
gives out rations and clothes and seems to be extremely well
conducted. There are various officials and Sisters of Mercy,
all working constantly and with great system.

The covering of the fields by ashes is the worst part of the
disaster, for it means that the livelihood of the people is
gone for an indefinite time. They are hardworking, deserving
peasants, and now their crops are gone, and the soil will not
bear anything for three or four years, till the ashes are
assimilated. They are far too deep to be plowed in at present.
There is no possible place to dump them. Every road is full,
every waste space heaped up high.

The Red Cross has not as yet published any bulletin or account
of their work. They will do so, however, in the end. Of course
they need money, and will continue to need it for months. I
hope America can send them some, for they certainly deserve it.

Sincerely yours,

EMILY P. BISSELL.

* * * * *

Items from the April _Bulletin_ of the Red Cross International Committee of Geneva.

The _Bulletin_ contains a report of the hospital sent to and maintained in Manchuria by the German Red Cross Society. The equipment filled 24 cars, providing for a hospital of 120 beds, a disinfecting apparatus, Röntgen plant, a bacteriological laboratory, and provisions for six months. Its personnel consisted of the Chief Surgeon, four Assistant Surgeons, two students, an administrator, a technical officer, 12 sister nurses and nine lay nurses. A large part of the personnel spoke Russian. Dr. Brentano, the Chief Surgeon, who considered the collaboration of feminine service of inestimable value, exacted that the sister nurses should belong to strictly religious orders, and that the character of the lay nurses should be strongly vouched for.

At the termination of the war, in returning to their country, 59 Japanese officers and 1721 soldiers who had been prisoners in Russia passed through Germany. For those who had been sick or wounded the German Red Cross turned the cars into veritable hospitals. At Berlin, upon order of the Emperor and Empress, the German Red Cross prepared a reception for them. Tea, cigarettes and some Japanese papers were distributed among them. At Hamburg the transportation of the sick and wounded to the ship was quickly accomplished by the Red Cross sanitary columns, and those who were well taken by a Red Cross detachment to see the city.

* * * * *

In France a movement is on foot to organize a volunteer automobile corps for the transportation of wounded. With the excellent roads that exist in that country, the wounded could often be transported in a few hours by automobiles to the reserve hospitals—thirty or forty miles from the front—instead of by the slow process of transportation by ambulance.

It is proposed to organize a volunteer corps of chauffeurs, including women, who are experts in the running of these machines.

* * * * *

In Italy the Red Cross has been continuing its great anti-malarial work in the Roman Campagna. It has several stations, and each station has a wagon, an ambulance and medical supplies, and a personnel of a medical officer, a man nurse and a conductor, each giving two months’ service.

In 1900 when the work began, 31 per cent. of those receiving the preventive treatment suffered from the fever. The report for 1905 shows that only a little over 5 per cent. were attacked by the malady; that is, out of 16,427 treated only 839 suffered from fever.

The Red Cross of the Netherlands reports relief rendered to a village which was partially destroyed by fire.

* * * * *

The _Bulletin_ contains a long article on the Russian Red Cross. On January 1, 1905, not including Port Arthur, it had 158 ambulances of various kinds including hospital trains, and hospital accommodations in Manchuria for 27,911. This article shows so strongly the need of system and preparation beforehand that it is hoped a portion of it may be printed in some subsequent _Bulletin_ of the American National Red Cross.

* * * * *

The Saxon Red Cross reports 70 Sanitary Columns with 2161 members, all of whom have received a special course of instruction. At Loschwitz a house for convalescents has been established and utilized for German soldiers returning from campaigns in South Africa.

* * * * *

The importance of the Revision of the Treaty of Geneva and some of the subjects to be discussed, for which the Convention is now being held in that city, occupies considerable space in the _International Bulletin_. Among the questions are: the protection of the wounded from ill treatment and pillage, the wearing by all military persons of some mark of identification, a provision that a list of the dead, the wounded and sick found or taken by the enemy shall be sent as soon as possible to the opposing Army or its government, a complete enumeration of the sanitary personnel protected by the Treaty, if in this enumeration shall be included the personnel of the volunteer aid, and under what conditions? Fourteen questions are given.

* * * * *

It is much regretted by the National Officers that so few of the Branch Societies have sent in any notes for publication in this number of the BULLETIN.

Copies of this quarterly BULLETIN are sent to all foreign Red Cross Societies and to every member of the American National Red Cross free of charge.

Members of the Red Cross may obtain from the Secretary of the Branch to which he or she belongs a Red Cross pin or button upon the payment of fifty cents.

The new life-membership certificates are now being sent out from the National Headquarters, and any life member not receiving one will confer a favor by notifying the National Secretary.

The Red Cross is having made some special pins to be worn by Red Cross nurses. These will be furnished the nurses without charge.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Persons desiring to become members of the American National Red Cross should fill out, as indicated, the blank forms on following page of this Bulletin and mail to the Secretary of the Branch Society in the State where they reside, whose address is given below.

Persons residing in States or Territories where no Branch Societies have as yet been formed should send their applications to the Secretary of the American National Red Cross, Room 341, War Department, Washington, D. C. These applications will be given prompt consideration as soon as such Branch Societies are organized.

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.

CALIFORNIA BRANCH: Mrs. Thurlow McMullin, 2200 California
Street, San Francisco, Cal.

COLORADO BRANCH: W. DeF. Curtis, Colorado Springs.

CONNECTICUT BRANCH: Mrs. Sara T. Kinney, P. O. Box 726, New
Haven, Conn.

DELAWARE BRANCH: Miss Emily P. Bissell, 1404 Franklin Street,
Wilmington, Del.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BRANCH: Mr. Gist Blair, Corcoran Building,
Washington, D. C.

GEORGIA BRANCH: Mr. Allen Sweat (Treasurer), National Bank
Building, Savannah, Ga.

ILLINOIS BRANCH: Mr. Honore Palmer, 1300 First National Bank
Building, Chicago, Ill.

INDIANA BRANCH: Hon. Noble C. Butler, Indianapolis, Ind.

INDIAN TERRITORY BRANCH: Dr. Fred S. Clinton, Tulsa, Indian
Territory.

MAINE BRANCH: Mrs. Frank H. Briggs, Auburn, Me.

MARYLAND BRANCH: Mr. George Norbury Mackenzie, 1243 Calvert
Building, Baltimore, Md.

MASSACHUSETTS BRANCH: Miss Katherine P. Loring, Prides
Crossing, Mass.

MICHIGAN BRANCH: Mr. R. M. Dyar, 705 Union Trust Building,
Detroit, Mich.

MINNESOTA BRANCH: Edward C. Stringer, St. Paul, Minn.

MISSOURI BRANCH: Leighton Shields, Laclede Building, St. Louis,
Mo.

NEW YORK STATE BRANCH: Mrs. Wm. K. Draper, Bristol Building,
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

NORTH CAROLINA BRANCH: Mrs. Theodore F. Davidson, Asheville, N. C.

OHIO BRANCH: Rev. John Hewitt, Cumberland Building, Columbus,
Ohio.

PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH: Joseph Allison Steinmetz, Independence
Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.

PHILIPPINE BRANCH: Mrs. George A. Main, Manilla, P. I.

RHODE ISLAND BRANCH: Prof. George Grafton Wilson, 15
Westminister Street, Providence, R. I.

SOUTH CAROLINA BRANCH: Mr. George Hoyt Smith, Charleston, S. C.

TEXAS BRANCH: Mrs. Green Scheyler Hill, Dallas, Texas.

WASHINGTON BRANCH: Mrs. James W. Cloes, Tacoma, Wash.

VERMONT BRANCH: Mr. Charles S. Forbes, St. Albans, Vt.

WYOMING BRANCH: Miss Winifred W. Woods, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

FORM OF BEQUEST

A will in the form following may be used to bequeath money for the purposes of this corporation. It would be well to have the same signed by _three witnesses_ in the presence of the testator and of each other.

All legacies, not otherwise specified, go into the Red Cross Endowment Fund, the interest of which is applied to the Emergency Fund.

I, A. B., of .............................................. (testator’s domicil), hereby make and publish the following as my last will and testament:

I give and bequeath to the American National Red Cross, a corporation in the District of Columbia, created by Act of Congress of the United States of America, its successors and assigns, the sum of

........................................... Dollars.

(A. B.) ...........................................

Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the above named A. B. as and for his last will and testament, in the presence of us, who have hereunto subscribed our names at his request as witnesses thereto, in the presence of the said testator and of each other.

................................

................................

................................

Transcriber’s Notes:

Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
Typographical errors were silently corrected.
Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when
a predominant form was found in this book.