Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

S. 1913, FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

[blocks in formation]

Mr. GRAY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

MAY 13, 1897

Reported by Mr. GRAY, without amendment

A BILL

To protect the insignia and the name of the Red Cross Whereas, on the twenty-second of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, at Geneva, Switzerland, plenipotentiaries respectively representing Italy, Baden, Belgium, Denmark, Spain,

France, Prussia, Saxony, and Wurtemburg, and the federal council of Switzerland agreed upon ten articles of a treaty or convention for the purpose of mitigating the evils inseparable from war; of suppressing the needless severity, and ameliorating the condition of soldiers wounded on the field of battle; and particularly providing, among other things in effect, that persons employed in hospitals, and in affording relief to the sick and wounded, and supplies for this purpose, shall be deemed neutral and entitled to protection; and that a distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted for hospitals and ambulances and convoys of sick and wounded, and an arm badge for individuals neutralized; and

Whereas said treaty has been ratified by all of said nations, and by others subsequently, to the number of thirty-six or more, including the United States of America; and

Whereas article seven of said treaty specifies the adoption and use of a special insignia, which shall be the distinctive sign of the Red Cross alone, under which insignia or sign the purpose of the treaty shall be carried into effect, the same being a red Greek cross on a white ground, and which shall constitute the military hospital flag of all the nations within the treaty, and designate all persons serving under it, and the same is adopted and used throughout the world; and

72688-42- -19

Whereas the unauthorized use of said insignia in all countries within the treaty has become a source of embarrassment and serious injury to the military and naval sanitary service of the country in time of war; and

Whereas intricate and perplexing complications arise by the indiscriminate and unauthorized use of the red cross in calamities and catastrophies in time of peace; and

Whereas all the nations most interested in the development of this treaty and its humane and provident work have already taken action to forbid the unauthorized use of its name and insignia; and Whereas, from the international character of the treaty, it becomes. necessary that there be in every nation within the treaty one body or organization in which the power to regulate the use and protect the rights of the insignia and name of the Red Cross shall vest, and that power is established by custom in every nation under the name and known as the central committee of that country, and through which body alone the international committee communicates with that government: Now, therefore, for the purpose of extending protection to this international and universal insignia in the United States of America,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this Act it shall be unlawful for any person or association of persons within the jurisdiction of the United States of America to wear or display the sign of the Red Cross above described, or any colorable imitation of said insignia, without permission from the American National Red Cross (a duly authorized and recognized body incorporated under the laws for the District of Columbia, and corresponding to the central committee described in the last preceding paragraph of the preamble), for the purpose of collecting, soliciting, or receiving money or material, or who shall by the use of said symbol or name of the American National Red Cross do, or attempt to do, similar work to the American National Red Cross, without permission from said organization, shall be guilty of misdemeanor, and shall be liable to a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, for each and every offense. The fine so collected shall be paid to the American National Red Cross.

REPORT TO ACCOMPANY S. 1913, FIFTY-FIFTH
CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

[blocks in formation]

APRIL 21, 1898.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. HENRY of Indiana, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 1913]

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1913) to protect the insignia and name of the Red Cross, report the same back with the following amendments, and recommend that, as so amended, it do pass.

In line 3 on page 3, after the word "that," strike out all to and including the word "for" in line 4.

Also, in line 5 strike out the word "to," and insert in lieu thereof the words "who shall."

Also, in line 17, insert "a" before the word "misdemeanor."

The purpose of this bill is to remedy a difficulty under which the American National Red Cross has labored by reason of the fact that its name and insignia have been improperly used by other persons, especially during times of war or great distress, which called into service this international association. The bill does not, in any way, prevent anyone from doing the same class of work which is done by the American National Red Cross, but will prevent him from using the name or insignia of the American National Red Cross in carrying on such work.

Your committee has deemed it desirable that the American National Red Cross should be given sole and exclusive authority to use the name and sign of the Red Cross in carrying on the special work for which it has been organized, and which has been so successful in relieving distress in all quarters of the world.

S. 2931, FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

[blocks in formation]

Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered to be

printed

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italics.]

AN ACT

To incorporate the American National Red Cross, and for other purposes

Whereas on the twenty-second of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, at Geneva, Switzerland, plenipotentiaries respectively representing Italy, Baden, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, France, Prussia, Saxony, and Wurtemburg, and the Federal Council of Switzerland agreed upon ten articles of a treaty or convention for the purpose of mitigating the evils inseparable from war; of suppressing the needless severity and ameliorating the condition of soldiers wounded on the field of battle; and particularly providing, among other things, in effect, that persons employed in hospitals, and in affording relief to the sick and wounded, and supplies for this purpose, shall be deemed neutral and entitled to protection; and that a distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted for hospitals and ambulances, and convoys of sick and wounded, and an arm badge for individuals neutralized; and

Whereas said treaty has been ratified by all of said nations, and by others subsequently, to the number of forty-three or more, including the United States of America; and

Whereas a permanent organization is an agency needed in every nation to carry out the purposes of said treaty, and especially to secure supplies and to execute the humane objects contemplated by said treaty, with the power to adopt and use the distinc

tive flag and arm badge specified by said treaty in article seven, on which shall be the sign of the Red Cross, for the purpose of cooperating with the "Comité International de Secours aux Militaires Blessés" (International Committee of Relief for the Wounded in War); and Whereas, in accordance with the requirements and customs of said international body, such an association, adopting and using said insignia, was formed in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, in July, eighteen hundred and eighty-one, known as "The American National Association of the Red Cross," and reincorporated April seventeenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, under the laws of the District of Columbia; and

Whereas it is believed that the importance of the work demands a reincorporation by the Congress of the United States: Now, there

fore,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Clara Barton, George Kennan, Julian B. Hubbell, of the District of Columbia; Stephen E. Barton, of New York; William R. Day, of Ohio; Brainard H. Warner, Ellen Spencer Mussey, Alvey A. Adee, of the District of Columbia; Joseph Sheldon, of Connecticut; Charles F. Fairchild, William Letchwerth, of New York City; Hiliary A. Herbert, of Alabama; Joseph Gardner, Enola Lee Gardner, of Bedford, Indiana; John W. Noble, of Saint Louis, Missouri; Richard Olney, of Boston, Massachusetts; Alexander W. Terrell, of Austin, Texas; Leslie M. Shaw, Benjamin Tillinghast, of Iowa; Abraham C. Kaufman, of Charleston, South Carolina; J. B. Vinet, of New Orleans, Louisiana; George Gray, of Delaware; Redfield Proctor, of Vermont; George F. Hoar, of Massachusetts; Charles A. Russell, of Connecticut; Robert W. Miers, of Indiana; George Boldt, William T. Wardell, of New York; Daniel Hastings, J. Wilkes O'Neill, of Pennsylvania; Thomas F. Walsh, of Colorado; John G. Sumner, of California; Charles C. Glover, Walter S. Woodward, Elizabeth Kibbey, Mabel T. Boardman, Walter Wyman, Sumner I. Kimball, of the District of Columbia; Edward Lowe, of Michigan, and their associates and successors, are hereby created a body corporate and politic in the District of Columbia.

SEC. 2. That the name of this corporation shall be "The American National Red Cross," and by that name it shall have perpetual succession, with the power to sue and be sued in courts of law and equity within the jurisdiction of the United States; to have and to hold such real and personal estate as shall be convenient and necessary to carry out the purposes of this corporation hereinafter set forth, such real estate to be limited to such quantity as may be necessary for official use or office buildings; to adopt a seal and the same to alter and destroy at pleasure; and to have the right to have and to use, in carrying out its purposes hereinafter designated, as an emblem and badge, a Greek red cross on a white ground, as the same has been described in the treaty of Geneva, August twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and adopted by the several nations acceding thereto; to ordain and establish by-laws and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof, and generally to do all such acts and things as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this Act and promote the purposes of said organization; and the corporation hereby created is designated

« PředchozíPokračovat »