Chapter 784. To incorporate the American National Red Cross, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 784.— An Act To incorporate the American National Red Cross, and for other purposes. June 6, 1900. Whereas on the twenty-second of August, eighteen hundred andAmerican National Red Cross incorporated.Preamble. sixty-four, at Geneva, Switzerland, plenipotentiaries respectively rep-resenting Italy, Baden, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, France, Prussia, Saxony, and Wurtemburg, and the Fedenti 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 need-less 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 278and entitled to protection: and that a distinctive and uniform flag shall he 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 distinctive 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, therefore, *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Incorporators. 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: Biliary 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 C. Boldt, William T. Wardwell, of New York; Daniel Hastings, J. Wilkes O’Neill, of Pennsylvania: Thomas F. Walsh, of Colorado: John G. Lemmon, of California: Charles C. Glover. Walter 8. Woodward, Elizabeth Kibbey, Mabel T. Boardman, Walter Wyman, Sumner I. Kimball, of the District of Columbia: Edward Lowe, of Michigan; Harriette L. Reed, of Boston. Massachusetts; William H.
Sears, of Lawrence, Kansas; John K. Elwell, of Vinland. Kansas: E. R. Ridgelv, of Pittsburg, Kansas; James Tanner, John Hitz. S. W. Briggs, Corry Curry, Lizzie W. Culver, Mary A. Logan, Mary L. Barton. S. B. Hege, and Helena H. Mitchell, of Washington, District of Columbia; Emma L. Nichols, of Chillicothe. Ohio; Lenora Halsted, of Saint Louis, Missouri: P. V. DeGraw, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Walter P. Phillips, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and their associates and successors, are hereby created a body corporate and politic in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. Name of corporation.That the name of this corporation shall be “The American National Red Cross.” and by that name it shall have perpetual Powers.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 279at 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 as the organization which is authorized to act in matters of relief under said treaty.
In accordance with article seven, of the treaty, the delivery of the, brassard allowed for individuals neutralized in time of war shall be left to military authority. Sec. 3. That the purposes of this corporation are and shall be—Purposes. First. To furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war. in accordance with the spirit and conditions of the conference of Geneva of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, and also of the treaty of the Red Cross, or the treaty of Geneva of August twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, to which the United States of America gave its adhesion on March first, eighteen hundred and eighty-two.
Second. And for said purposes to perform all the duties devolved upon a national society by each nation which has acceded to said treaty. Third. To succeed to all the rights and property which have been hitherto held and to all the duties which have heretofore been performed by the American National Red Cross as a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the United States relating to the District of Columbia, which organization is hereby dissolved. Fourth. To act in matters of voluntary relief and in accordance with the military and naval authorities as a medium of communication between the people of the United States of America and their armies, and to act in such matters between similar national societies of other governments through the “Comité International de Secours” and the Government and the people and the armies of the United States of America.
Fifth. And to continue and carry on a system of national and inter-national relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, tire. Hoods, and other great national calamities. Sixth. And to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same, and generally to promote measures of humanity and the welfare of mankind. Sec. 4. That from and after the passage of this Act it shall beUse of insignia, etc, forbidden. unlawful for any person within the jurisdiction of the United States to falsely and fraudulently hold himself out as, or represent or pretend himself to be a member of or an agent for the American National Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material; or for any person to wear or display the sign of the red cross, or any insignia colored in imitation thereof, for the fraudulent purpose of inducing the belief that he is a member of or an agent for the American National Red Cross.
If any person violates the provisionsPenalty. of this section he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and snail be liable to a fine of not less than one nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both, for each and every offense. The fine so collected shall be paid to the American National Red Cross. The appointment of the chief medical officer shall not be made without the approval in writing of the Secretary of War. Sec. 5. That the said American National Red Cross shall, on theReports. 280first day of January of each year, make and transmit to Congress a full, complete, and itemized report of all receipts and expenditures of whatever kind, and of its proceedings during the preceding year, and shall also give such information concerning its transactions and affairs as the Secretary of State may from time to time require, and, in respect of all business and proceedings in which it may be concerned in connection with the War and Navy Departments of the Government, shall make reports to the Secretary of War and to the Secretary of the Navy, respectively.
Sec. 6. Amendment.That Congress shall have the right to repeal, alter, or amend this Act at any time. Approved, June 6, 1900.