RED CROSS WORK DOES NOT CEASE IN WAR OR PEACE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 6, 1 July 1949, Page 5

RED CROSS WORK DOES NOT CEASE IN WAR OR PEACE

The history of the International Red Cross since it was established by Henri Dunant in 1862 was the subject of a talk by Mrs A. W. Winstone, Whakatane, secretary of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Centre and a member of the Dominion Executive Committee, given to the ■Whakatane Rotary Club this week.

After he had established the Red Cross following ' the Battle of Solferino, Mrs Winstone said, “Dunant circularised the Government of many European countries with his booklet, ‘Souvenirs of Solferino’, a direct outcome of which was the first Geneva Convention of 1864, which formally recognised the principal that sick and wounded in time of war, the hospitals ambulances, and staff attending them are to be regarded as neutral in all times and circumstances.” Red Cross in New Zealand operated during the 1914/18 war as a branch _of the British Red Cross Society, and affiliated with the League of Red Cross Societies in 1919. The New Zealand Red Cross Society was formed and formally recognised by its Government in 1931.

It was accepted as an auxiliary of the Army, Medical Service in 1945, the declaration being signed by the Minister of Defence and Brigadier A. E. Conway, now of Whakatane, Mrs Winstone added.

The League of Red Cross Societies was formed in 1919—mainly at the instigation of the American Red Cross, with the idea of extending the war time work into peace time relief. The League is formed of members of the National Red Cross Society.

The objects of the League and thus all Red Cross National Societies, Mrs Winstone pointed out, is the improvement of health, prevention of disease and intigation of suffering. The International Red Cross Committee is composed entirely of Swiss citizens, not more than 25 in number, its strength and essence being strict neutrality.

The New Zealand Red Cross between 1945 an 1948 has sent overseas clothing to the value of over £1,000,000, and has spent over £BOOO in Food for Britain.

Red Cross has its V.A.Ds, and Men’s Detachments, Transport, drivers and Junior Red Cross. The members of these organisations pay for their own training . and uniforms, and in the case of transport, provide their own cars. Mrs Winstone stressed the place of Red Cross in the international field. In war or peace it can cross al frontiers; Red Cross Conferences are attended by members of Governments signatory to the Geneva Convention as well as representatives of National Societies. * The? conference of 1938 introduced the outlawry of poison gas and microbe infection as weapons of war. Two other recommendations, banning of aerial bombing of cities, and submarine warfare were being discussed among the nations, but Germany and Japan would not agree, and the war intervened.

The latest Red Cross conference, held in Sweden last year, and presided over by the late Count Bernadotte, unanimousely opposed atomic warfare, and suggested various means of safeguarding civilians in war time, and opposed the taking of postages. These recommendations must be approved or rejected by the Governments concerned before being written into the Geneva Convention. Mrs Winstone referred to the co-operation that existed between the St John Organisation and Red Cross in Whakatane. Mr A. J. Canning also spoke of his appreciation of the friendly spirit that existed between St John and Red Cross. Mrs Winstone was a member of the Joint Council of Red Cross and St John in Wellington. He assured Mrs Winstone that St John were right behind Red Cross, and would continue to help whenever they could. As evidence of sincerity he handed the speaker his Red Cross membership fee. The President, Mr H. G. Warren, asked if any members had any questions. “Were Turks and other Mahommedan nations members of the League?” They had been bitter enemies of Christianity for centuries. They were members, said Mrs Winstone, but were known as Red Crescent Societies. She showed the meeting a copy of the magazine “Red Cross World” with a red cross and a red crescent either side of the title. The greatest co-operation existed at present where Red Cross and Red Crescent were working together on Middle East relief—a job handed to the League by U.N. on which Red Cros was represented. Another queried 100,000,000 members, but was assured this was so, when one considers India alone has a population of 400,000,000 it does

not seem so huge, especially spread among 63 nations. “Why did Red Cross when distributing comforts discriminate between soldiers of the Ist and 2nd world wars?” Mrs Winstone said if this* were done it was quite wrong. Both should be treated alike. When the Patriotic Fund Board was formed it instructed that the Joint Council (its expending agents) must claim for- comforts for Ist World War men from the Great War funds, and for men of World War II from Patriotic Funds. There was no difference’ in the gifts only in the payment for them. Mrs Winstone said she would see that there was no difference made.