USE OF RED CROSS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1932, Page 8

USE OF RED CROSS

FOR TRADE PURPOSES.- I a Prosecution fails. DUNEDIN, July 15: An unusual case was heard in tOe Police Court under th e regulations of the’ Geneva Convention Act, 1911, which is applicable to New Zealand, Katherine Morr s being charged with using for'the purpose of tradp, without authority ofthe Minister of Defence, the heraldic eniblem of the Red' Cross on a white ground, formed by .reversing the 'Federal colours of Switzerland. U l : Ch ef-Detectiv 6 Young sai'd that l ; in April last a pamphlet' had.; cdnie upder .the not.be of the police, when shme patent medicine had been sent to a man in Dunedin whb,j interviewed by* the police, stated that he dbtained it from defendant;Who v resided iii Christchurch, and also that the''pamphlets were . sent from Christchurch. Defendant was interviewed -ten Christchurcli by a . detective and-, -admitted' ’sending the / pamphlets adohg with bott'es of patent medicine. There was a red cross on a white ; background on the pamphlet. ' : : A. ’■ <

It was an offence, continued the chiefdetective, house’' the 1 words “lied Cross,”, as well as the •’ words, ' “Geneva Cross,” in this way and it was the intention of the authorities absolutely to’ prohibit the use of ‘ the Red Cross against' -a white background. 1 Counsel for the defence pointed out ‘that the Geneva or Swiss Cross was of the isame length and width. On the pamphlet the stand of the cross,that port.on below the cross bars, was certainly longer than any other portion of th e cross; in fact it was a Latin Cross; \ '

The- Magistrate agreed that the prosecution .had failed to prove that 1 the ci-cks was the heraldic emblem of the Red Cross on 1 a white ground formed by -reversing the Federal- 'colours • of Switzerland. The charge was dismissed.