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.