The American Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. IV, No. 4, October 1909)American National Red Cross
History
The American Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. IV, No. 4, October 1909)
American National Red Cross
American National Red Cross -- Periodicals; Red Cross and Red Crescent -- Periodicals
_Resolved_, That the adoption of this resolution be given as
wide publicity as possible in the medical journals of the
country.
Dr. Samuel Wolfe, of Pennsylvania, supplemented the resolutions
presented by Major Ireland by introducing the following
preambles and resolution, which were also referred to the
Reference Committee on Legislation and Political Action:
WHEREAS, It is held that the Red Cross, which now constitutes
the main character in the official badge of the American
Medical Association, is eminently distinctive of certain
broader fields of philanthropy, rather than of medicine in
particular, and
WHEREAS, The traditions of medicine would be fully satisfied by
the adoption of a design as herewith submitted and described as
follows:
A shield on which is emblazoned the American eagle holding in
its talons a laurel wreath within which is the knotty rod and
entwined serpent and the letters A. M. A.; therefore, be it
_Resolved_, That the American Medical Association adopt as its
official insignia or badge this design.
_Protect the Red Cross._
Issued by the New York State Branch.
When the Red Cross insignia was first adopted at the Geneva Convention,
as a sign of a hospital in war, and for many years after that, no one
dreamed of using it as a mark on goods sold in trade. Gradually, however,
such use became more common, and a badge of humanity, which men in the
midst of warfare respected, became more and more, in trade, a meaningless
label, applied to all kinds of medicinal boxes, bottles and jars, and
every other conceivable package and bundle.
The badge of the Red Cross in America would have become a mere commercial
mark but for the efforts of the American Red Cross and its branches.
We have worked hard to stop this wrongful use of the red cross, and we
appeal to you to help us in this work, and to respect the law, for the
unauthorized use of the red cross is in violation of a Federal statute.
Help us to make the red cross what it should be, the badge which stands
for humanity, and help to those who suffer in war and in calamities of
all kinds. Help us to do this by stopping the use of the red cross or
using the words red cross on your own articles of commerce and by urging
others to do the same.
Even if it helps you to sell a few articles by using this mark on
them, is it worth while bringing the red cross into the domain of
commercialism, when so many thousand Americans, men and women, in private
and in public life—President Taft as well as the smallest worker in the
smallest branch—are trying to make the red cross the emblem of the great
Red Cross work all over this country, and of that work only?
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