USKUB—YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2534, 7 August 1915, Page 10

USKUB—YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY

THE SE BIANS' NEEDS ("Manchester Guardian" Correspondent.) Skoplje, the Turkish Uskub, is not exaotl.v at tho front,'so wo, of the First British Field Hospital for Serbia, marking timo hero, have hardly as yet entered upon tho real duties for which, wo were organised. But wo are not idlo—far from it; we havo,chargo of a large hospital here for as long as wo are able to devoto ourselves to it. We cannot say how long that may ho, for wo know that as soon as the bugle's call from the distant frontier announces tho resumption of active hostilities we shall go forward with our cars, our tents, and all the appliances for field work with which wo are equipped, and Skoplje will be no moro to us than a convenient base for our less portable goods. Wo left England early in April, constituted essentially as a surgical and field unit. We' number 27, at present, including surgeons, dressers, nurses, chauffeurs, a cook, and a laundress. Wo have six cars—thero aro more on their way out —each specially constructed to carry stretcher and ; sitting-up cases. There is a small scouting car as well. Wo liavo largo hospital tents, each of which has ample accommodation for 24 patients. Wo aro also well provided with all the latest appliances for field work. Under these circumstances feverstricken Skopljo would not appear, upon tho surface, to be our best objective. But the military authorities knew what' they were, about., lor the- moment there is.no regular fighting in progress, so, since none of us wish" to be -idle,. our energies' can- be employed' .Where there is ample need for them. , New Serbia, No part of the country, outsido the zone ot actual fighting, lias been so sorely tried as this, the territorv that was wrested from the Turk little more than ..a. .couple of years ago—New Serbia, as it is called, though Old Serbia would be a more appropriate name, for. okoplje iv as a great Serbian city long before the Turks overran Eastern Europe. It was at the famous battle of llossovo, fought in 1389, and that Tsar-. Lazar lost his land and his life,-and it has taken over 500 years for that loss to bo avenged and redeemed. - And no sooner had the Sevb, after two cruel and hardly fought wars, entered into repossession of his own, no sooner had he begun to replace tho lagging methods ot the Turk by . more up-to-date enterprise, than fate once more laid a heavy burden upon the whole country, and bkoplje—beautiful inountain-girt Skoplje—must have more than its due 6hare or tho weight to carry. , Refugees from the north.came crowding in, bringing pestilence and famine in their traini They had to be housed, but the city was already overcrowded, livery train discharged a pitiful cargo— the brave sons" of Serbia who had been •wounded on the field of battle—andthough: hospitals • wero rapidly. improvised throughout- the town, .tlioy .wero utterly. insulficieut to cope with, the need: • Medical: necessities wero lacking: doctors and nurses—tho fow. that wero .available—worked themselves -to death, literally to death, iu their efforts to stem tho horrid tide, but tlioy wero only drawn into tho vortex themselves. Men died in tho streets/ for there were none to minister to them; fover' and crying want held hideous revel whilo the icy hand of winter lay heavy upon the land. ■Conditions are bettor now; tnd Skoplje owes- this to tho bravo men and women who . toilod devotedly through those' dark winter days to combat the grim spectre—those who wont out fearlessly, their lives in their hands, and all too many of whom fell victims to their devotion. -For ourselves we seo but the lingering shadow of these things; we have eomo to Skoplje in tho spring, and spring lias breathed its Ecothing spirit over the town. There are oven moments when Skopljo can smile once more—but wanly, as one who has known much pain. A few of those who fought tho stern' fight aro still with us, or have only just taken their departure. Lady Paget (whoso death was recorded siiice) left for England the other day; carrying 1 -with her the love and gratitude of- a'whole natipn. .- Of this we had a. good example iit a few words.spokoii. to us by a Jewish shopkeeper. "Wo Jews'," lie said, "kept our synagogue open for perpetual prayers whilo that bravo jlady lay ill. Long hours together wo spent bowed in prayer —even the little children." He-paused, then added simply, "Perhaps, out; prayers .were heard.'' ' The Need* It muist not be thought,' however, because tho tension is 'somewhat relaxed, that Skoplje is herself again, or that thero is any less need throughout the country for -tho 'assistance that has been so bountifully bestowed. ..'.typhus and other infectious diseases aro still prevalent, while with tho advent of hot. weather, and tho resumption of Jiostili-. ties an. outbreak of cholera is sadly, to bo feared. Our patients aro mostlywounded' soldiers, aiid a largo number? have had amputations—several of both legs—aud. their wounds ar-e ; slow to heal.. There is great need v fqrTartificial-limbs' —not ready made,..as-these would probably not fit, oiving to tho fact that in most cases, becauso of the great shattering of tho limb, it has been:found necessary to depart from the usual, stereotyped amputations. It -is necessary, therefore, that these ; artificial supports should be constructed locally, only funds for tho purpose ..are-sadly lacking. And that is what-we-.so constantly feel in our'work .in the hospital; thero is so much wo could do for these poor fellows, who liavo .given their blood for their > country, if only we had tho means. r At this date last jear (says the "Sydney Daily Telegraph") the war scare arid crisis had set iu, as Austria declared war on Scrvia on July 28, though it was not till tho 31st that the Stock Exchanges closed, not till August 1 that Germany formally declared war on Russia and France, and England did not declare war on Germany until August 4. But we havo had 'twelve months under war conditions. Eurcpo.has expended over £4,000,000,000 on the conflicts, and millions of lives have been sacrificed. Of all the countries engaged in the-con-flict probably New Zealand has felt the strain tho least, and Australia follows closely. If the-war continued for'another year the expenditure would be far greater, the loss of life greater, and tho destruction greater, and yet both these countries would ceaso to be depressed. The vast expenditure must boom those countries which can-con-tinue to'produ'ce'.. 'The drought' was our greatest drawback, even in tho past twelve _ months. But ordinary capital .expenditure must to a largo extent 'be checked, for tlio rates havo gone up, and might easily ■ ho forced to higiier levels.' Economy in capital outlay need not involve depression so long as production at high' prices continues. : "Tlie King of Tonga is determined to At Swedish weddings among tho middle classes'tho bridegroom usually Carries a whip. . This is an emblem of his authority, in the domestic circlo. -'Mid stu,rm und drang, mit hoc'h! und ltlaug! "Dear-Faderland" hurls forth to fight; Der Kaisorgmt mit his "mailed fist," At last, ho has set the world alight I So Hans and Fritz, mit d«m hov.'ilz', Must Russian ice and snow endure; 'Tis doubtful if they still survive, .If. thei'vena 'Mooit,':