▁in ▁response ▁to ▁emer gency ▁situations ▁which ▁were ▁not ▁caused ▁by ▁war ▁( such ▁as ▁man - made ▁or ▁natural ▁dis aster s ). ▁The ▁AR C ▁already ▁had ▁great ▁dis aster ▁relief ▁mission ▁experience ▁extending ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁foundation . ▁ ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁League , ▁as ▁an ▁additional ▁international ▁Red ▁Cross ▁organization ▁alongside ▁the ▁IC RC , ▁was ▁not ▁without ▁controvers y ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁reasons . ▁The ▁IC RC ▁had , ▁to ▁some ▁extent , ▁valid ▁concerns ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁rival ry ▁between ▁both ▁organizations . ▁The ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁League ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁und erm ine ▁the ▁leadership ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁IC RC ▁within ▁the ▁movement ▁and ▁to ▁gradually ▁transfer ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁tasks ▁and ▁compet encies ▁to ▁a ▁mult il ater al ▁institution . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁that , ▁all ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁League ▁were ▁national ▁soci eties ▁from ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁Ent ente ▁or ▁from ▁associated ▁partners ▁of ▁the ▁Ent ente . ▁The ▁original ▁stat utes ▁of ▁the ▁League ▁from ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁contained ▁further ▁reg ulations ▁which ▁gave ▁the ▁five ▁found ing ▁soci eties ▁a ▁privile ged ▁status ▁and , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁Henry ▁P . ▁Dav ison , ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁perman ently ▁exclude ▁the ▁national ▁Red ▁Cross ▁soci eties ▁from ▁the ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Pow ers , ▁namely ▁Germany , ▁Austria , ▁Hung ary , ▁Bulg aria ▁and ▁Turkey , ▁and ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁that ▁the ▁national ▁Red ▁Cross ▁society ▁of