ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2375, 3 February 1915, Page 7

ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM

WAR ACTIVITIES REPORT BY MR. W. B. FISHER Mr. W. B. Fisher, of the Order of St. John o£ Jerusalem, who H> now m England on leave, and who, since the war began has been working at St. John's Gate, the headquarters of the Order, sends the following interesting account of the activities of the OrSor in a letter written to a frioud in Wellington :— i'he ordinary management, embracing the Chapter General and Council of the Order, together with the Central Executive ancl other committeee has been extended by the' creation of a "European War Fund Committee," under the presidency of Her Majesty the Queen, who graciously consented to act as principal. Different sub-committees have been appointed for carrying out the aims of members, and these periodically report progress. One sub-committee attends to the supply of motor transport under the direction of Lord Norrey, and a large number of motor conveyances through this agency have been sent to the theatre pf war. A second sub-committee, I with Lord Ranfurly as chairman, deals with questions of finance, and the share of the special Red Cross Fund allocated to the organisation of St. John, amounts to about a quarter of a million pounds. A third sub-committee, with Lady Sloggett as convener, deals with the collection and supply of garments for our soldiers, who nave received many thousands of useful articles sent from "the Gate." A fourth sub-committee, under the control of Sir Claud Mac Donald, attends to requirements under the heading of Foreign Service, and furnishes specific personnel, including surgeons, nurses, and equipment. A fifth subcommittee, flying a "banner inscribed "Indian Contingent," supplies beds, comforts, etc., for Indian troops, and Sir John Hewitt is the head of this department. A sixth sub-committee, with Sir Richard Temple as the chief member, governs the machinery in force for the provision of temporary hospitals, convalescent homes, etc., officered and staffed by voluntary aid departments. Then, in addition to the foregoing, there is the great work carried' out by the St. John Ambulance Brigade, under the direction of Sir James Clark, who is on duty at "The Gate" day after day. Up to the present, 7500 men have been mobilised for Red Cross work, all of whom are members of the St.' John Ambulance Brigade, and as an indication of their abilities I may mention the following institutions, organisations, etc.). which havo been staffed by them:—Military Home Hospital, Naval hospitals and ships, military hospital ships, miscellaneous establishments at Home, Expeditionary Force, Allied Forces, base hospital Cardiff,' Contingent for Aantes, Lady Dudley's Hospital, Duchess of -Westminster's Hospital, 6anitary orderlies, in addition to homes, etc., promoted by philanthropists'who have applied for their services. ' We are in constant touch with the War Office, under whose control the biigade men pass after mobilisation. You can imagine what a very busy man the Secretary-General is, and Lady Perrott, together with her 6taff officer (Mre. Oliver) and many other voluntary helpers get through an immense amount of work. . Another committee' composed of St. John representatives and British Bed Cross Society representatives has been set up'to control the operations carried out for the sick and wounded. TJp to Saturday last the "Times" Fund for this purpose amounted to £727,955, which has been allocated as follows:— £200,000 for the British Bed Cross Society exclusively. For the St. John organisation and British Red Cross Society combined, as follow: —General purposes, £195,418; motor ambulances, £289,908; King George Hospital, £42,628. ■