"OUR BOYS" AT HOME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2610, 4 November 1915, Page 4

"OUR BOYS" AT HOME

A GLOWING-TRIBUTE TO OUR WOUNDED. IN ENGLAND HOW THEY : :ARE BEINGS CARED FOR V Mr. I. W. Raymond, who is chairman '•of tlio Hospitality Committee in connection ■ with the New' Zealand Executive ' (War Association), wlio has also*- two sub-cohunittccs—'Hospital .Visiting.; and, - '.Entertainmcnt-r-imder his guidance, 'sen<ls';us tho following lettox from; London I am confident that if the proprietors of tlie leading Dominion weekly papers, could onlyi see with what relish "our' ; hoys'' from tho Dardanelles devour *the ; columns of any stray'; issues wiidi : .'are •sent; to thefn, 1 . tliey;'yo'uld!. williiigly.post-' two copies to the. care;of'the .0.C., the leading a regular hospitals, L;aiu ,bound':'to express': my. in-' teiiso adiniratioiv.^i'■'.ihk dem.eaiiour. pi.! lour - inen. .'Cod .oiily 'lniowß' whafc' they 3i iivo' p:i sstxl; tilrough.. I'lio world kuovv.s ia the annals of history wher6: ]neii : luir.O; teen, called "upon to face the devilish machination's of an enemy,'; -ih> country-so jm : , pregnable, and -under' such all-rotinfl'uii-' favourable conditions, as have thosa lion-lioarted and dauntless mcir tliat tho Dominion sent to add lustre-;'to their' country. Thoy recount experiences as if they were seasoned veterans. They loyally seek to hide the truth of tho blunders they, and those who will never, return, were hapless victims of.l amprimed with evidence that caiihot. be" made; public, but which is unconkroyert-v able!- An insane and wholly fateful policy''of hush in the London .Pre'ss' per- . mits'. and encouragos a perpetuation'' ofthat has gone/on., ' ; Oii 'arrival here all that can be bu-- 1 .ina.nly done is done, .60 enthusiastically : anxidus axq'i their wuntrymen and., their■ compatriots! to .shOWi', appreciation' of -their, valour" .and'-hieroisiri'.'; Their.' .first' anxiety is to :get' r their'.letters..,,. Sometimes tho postbox" is .onipt'y.". \lf thoso' left'.b'ehind couli.mtnMslthe'disappoint-. m«nt 0 oca sioneci, thoy would feel <(■. pang of i;Tp. ..these hrsive ■lastSfew months! ' TheY' "bavo'- iived years, and suffered death many scoreo. of stimes. The dear ones and friends 1 cannot write too often. The New.Zea* land War Executive is doing s a greav and . good work at this end. Despite :a liberal interpretation by. tho High Com-" missioner's Office of tho length it can. go'.towards meeting the requirements; of the'men. sent here from the Iroiit, but. ."for!,'the executive their stay here '.would: nob-bo ono to look back upon with, pleasure:'' A staff of over 70 lady (official), visitors look tho hoys up on their urrivalJ and ascertain what necessities ana comforts they require. These 'invariably include underclothes (the High Commissioner supplies tunic, otc.),- toilet requisites, fruit, and: other .delicacies. As gooii ■as their health permits, char-a-bancs call and take them round the city or in to the country, genorally inking'tea at some private homo. Offers of hospitality are generously made, but as the hoys bavo only a fortnight s furlough they prefer to stay in town. People here on all hands express a distinct kindly feeling for those "splendid' Now Zealanders." By the way they have - comported themselves at Home they have won the hearts of all classes. Their countrymen are proud indeed of "their boys," . There are close on 2000 sick and wounded'in England. The membors of the various committees, under: tho -executive!,';, are,.determined .to dispense : .h.e6essities; tod-'comforts;m' no, from home, and inust Tio looked met wherever the money may come from. This is the very least that can be done for them. • The resources are almost drietl up on this side. The Dominion Government, or the public independently, would, I am confident, remit. £10,000 occasionally if they could but see'ihow carefully all moneys are expended, and bow urgently necessary is ther outlay. Remember .the' back-pay is never a- ]arg© sum. Th© total each man. can draw after leaving hospital is 2s;' i .,por day: hardly, sufficient to meet 'bus' ; expenditure.'. Tho reliable and comfortable b'dardinghouses charge SOs.'vper week.;:;; The -allowance is wholly inadequate. . Knowing the generosity'of the people in the Dominion, I hope if any appeal be made that they will;- feel safe .in .responding, knowing how the money is being applied. Many holies in London among New Zealanders are'open to officers and men. . They have, sons of their'own in France, and ' Flanders, and "a fellow feeling makes folfc'wond'rous kind"; but this hospitality is sparingly availed of. List of hospitals where New Zealand soldiers are located: —

First London General Hospital, St. Gabriel's College, Camberwell, London. Second London General Hospital, St. Mark's College, Chelsea, London, S.W. Third London General Hospital, [Wandsworth, London, S.W. Fourth London General Hospital, Denmark' Hill, London.

St. Thomas's Hospital, L'ondoh. King George's Hospital, London. Mount Vernon and New End Hospital;'' Hampstead,_ London. Military Hospital, Endell Street, London,' N.C. Bethnal Green' Military, Hospital, London.

Fnlham Military, Hospital, F-ulham, London, S.W.

Royal Free Hospital, London. Endsleigh Palace Hotel, Hospital, Loridon, W.C. .... . . First Southern General 1 Hospital, Birmingham ~,. Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol. Fifth Southern Hospital, Portsmouth. Commught Hospital, AldorsTiot. Canadian Hospital, ' Taplow, Middlesex, England. ' Convalescent, Camp, Eastbourne, England: Woodcote Park, Epsom, Surrey, England. . ° ; Third Western Hospital, Cardiff. Southampton Military Hospital, Southampton, England. Monnt Video Camp.Military. Hospital, Weymouth. Weir Bed Cross,/Balham, London. Second Northern .Hospital, Leeds. Royal Hospital, Richmond, England. Red Cross Hospital, Exeter, England. War Hospital, Reading, England. Netley Hospital, - : Netley, England'.'