, by desire and nomination of President Garfield, I was
made its president, and requested to name my officers.

The association was formed during the winter of 1880-'81, with the view
on the part of President Garfield of facilitating the adoption of the
treaty which he would name in his next message, which message was never
written.

Before the message, he, too, had joined the martyred ranks, and his
gentle successor, Arthur, filled his chair and kept his promise, and
through action of his own executive department the treaty was adopted;
indorsed by action of the Senate; proclaimed by the President to our
people; later ratified by the International Powers in the Congress of
Berne, with the pledge to render relief to unfortunate victims of war,
and the privilege, by my request, of rendering similar relief to the
victims of great national calamities or disasters.

All this had been accomplished by the kindly help of a few personal
friends, tireless and unrewarded, and while the news of the accession of
the Government of the United States, to the treaty of Geneva, lit
bonfires that night (for I cabled it by their request) in the streets of
Switzerland, France, Germany, and Spain, a little four-line paragraph in
the congressional doings of the day in the _Evening Star_, of
Washington, alone announced to the people of America that an
international treaty had been added to their rolls.

No personal distinction had been bestowed, no one honored, no one
politically advanced, no money of the Government expended, and, like
other things of like nature and history, it was left in obscurity to
make its own way and live its own hard life.

Thus the spring of 1882 found us--a few people, tired and weak, with
five years of costly service, a treaty gained, with no fund, no war nor
prospect of any, and no helpful connection with or acknowledgment by the
Government.

Soon the news of "Half the State of Michigan on Fire" called us to
action on our own laws of civil relief. A little draft on the purse of
the new, inexperienced president of the association paved the way for an
agent to go to the field. Others generously joined, all reported to our
friend and advocate, Senator Omar D. Conger, of Michigan. Some supplies
were sent, a society or two formed to provide and forward them. The
agents remained until the suffering was relieved, and thus the first
field relief work of which we have any record in the United States was
commenced.