An open letter to Clara Barton, president of the American Red Cross, from members of the Club Federico de la Torre, 1897.

This letter was published in Spanish-language newspapers but also sent to Clara Barton. Members of the Club Federico de la Torre, part of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, expressed concern over the ability of the American Red Cross to remain neutral while providing service on the ground in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Since the United States backed Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, and because the Spanish Red Cross refused to treat Cuban citizens medically, the Club questioned Barton’s assertion that the American Red Cross would remain neutral and respond to the needs of those on both sides of the conflict.