AN OPEN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2643, 14 December 1915, Page 6

AN OPEN LETTER

;t « TO THE PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE, PALMERSTON NORTH [Per- favour The Dominion.] Gentlemen,—To all who have the wcl lare of our sick aud wounded heroes at heart, your decision to periodically release a fair sum of nioney for their immediate benefit must be a source of tremo gratification: . But among tlie many thousands of our moil, who are either sick or,wounded and who are distrib'uted among the various military and lied Cross hospitals and convalescent homes throughout the United Kingdom and in Egypt, .Malta, and Lenmos, there 'will be very few indeed'to whom the opportunity to appreciate any hospitality from New Zealand will be given. The fact is, we have practically left the care of our sick and wounded to the British military authorities, the St. John Ambulance Association, and British Red Cross : At enorinous expense the War Joint Committee of the British Red Cross and ."Order of St. Jpbn, established, equipped, and staffed the ; magnificent establishments that care ■••for our boys. In addition they provided six hospital ships to carry them between the Dardanelles and Malta and England'; hospital traiiiß replete with every comfort scionco and art could devise to-convey them* from : place of'disembarkation to'the hospital in England or Egypt; motor ambulances and launches; stationary and motorlaboratories; installed expensive X-ray equipment; placed the finest experts of the medical faculty and nursing service at /the disposal of our men; provided various means of recreation and entertainment; established an institution where; our men may learn t)ie use of artificial, limbs, to be more or less independent of pension or dowry, from Disabled Soldiers 1 ' Fund; maintain a ' thoroughly efficient military and naval transport corps for our men, as well as for the brave English Tommy; established the only , authorised method of tracing missing soldiers,'in conjunction, with the' United States' and Swiss Embassies, arid sending comforts, etc., to British prisoners of war;.in fact, have done all that is morally possible to alleviate tho suffering, restore tho health and strength and faculty, and mitigate deformity of our sick and wounded. What enormous 'obligations we have placed ourselves under to the War Joint Committee of the British Red Cross and Order of St. John. Yet how little we in New Zealand appreciate that fact. Muoh public sympathy has been awakened recently for our sick and wounded, and thousands of pounds collected in their name. But what avails the money if it be not used to ease their pain, restore their health, or save their life r A small effort has recently been made to wipe off some of our indebtedness to the Joint Committoe of the British • Red Cross and Order of St. John,, by means of thq response to His Excellency's appeal for Red Cross funds, and a matter of £15,200 has gone,-Home to' bo used for ourtmen. But, gentlemen, I havo recently received a letter from Lord Ranfurly, in which he assures'me,that "to his knowledge no lees than £90,000 worth of medical and surgical necessities and'comforts have been dispatched' to Malta, Egypt, and the Dardanelles, and mainly for our men." This does not include*the initial expenses incurred ill the establishing of the various institutions and tho. payment of. salaries'' of highly efficient staffs. • Aro wo roally doing anything for our sick and' wounded ? Do we realise that by the extending of our. battle line, and our 'serious, complicated' relationships with other countries, that the need is increasingly greater for us to rise to our responsibilities, by assisting' to our utmost, the organisation . whose specific function it is to supplement the military medical services in all'- its 'branches?. _ •. . . 1 Gentlemen, there is a right aaid proper way by; which. we • can. all .assht to. that. end, and . that is by. directly placing at the disposal of the War' Joint , Committee of the British Red Cross and Order. :of St. John all funds availablo for our sick and wounded on the field of battle, and in base and field hospitals and convalescent homes. It', is the most sure, economical, and efficient way. : Money sent for that purpose is sure to, go right for our boys, when sent through His Excellency to the Duke of Connaught, tho Marquis of Lansdowne, or Lord Ranfurly. Tliey have the power and machinery at their disposal to put it to' tho specific use intended. The Y.M.C.A. is doing a noble work among our troops as a Y.M.C.A. Various denominations are also doing similar noble work. But the Red Cross Society is abundantly capable of doing R«1 Cross work, providing the public support them. Gentlemen, I respectfully submit that, as the method of your kindly action may possibly be taken as a precedenß for other similar societies so to act, that future consideration be given our sick aud wounded through the constitutional channel —His Excellency the Earl of Liverpool, president N.Z. Branch, British lied Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association.—l am, etc., JOHN BRINE, .Waneanui.