WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3096, 29 May 1917, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Continued from page 2.) NEWS FROM SALONIKA HOSPI'IAL WOItK FOR THE SERBS. Writing from Salonika, a correspondent of the Christckurc.h "Press" who was privileged to spend three weeks in travelling to Monastir,' dwells, in the course of his' article, upon the splendid work which was done for" the starving Serbian population by Mrs. Harley (sister of lord French), whose death was recently announced in the newspapers He states:— . \^,- "Tho people of tho Balkans are so ■used to the passage and repassage of ■war that it is difficult to persuade them to leave their homes, ■ however sbellnven and dangerous they may be. As there was no organised means of feed■ing the inhabitants, and as many of the children were starving, a kitchen from which soup and cocoa could he dispensed had been opened by Mrs. Harley, a sister of Viscount French, assisted by,her daughter, and Mr.. Black, a courageous Scotchman, who brought up the necessary supplies in his private car when they were needed. Mrs. Harl«y was a woman of great personal charm and conspicuous courage, and riot the. least pleasant part of my short stay in Monastir was the charming hospitality that she dispensed in her small house. Only yesterday I received a letter from hor (dated March 5), in which she saidTve had some casualties in the town yesterday, so it is far from safe yet,' but to-day it was my sad privilege to attend her funeral, carried out with military honours, as on March 6 slip-was mortally wounded by a piece of shrapnel. ..The: war has- claimed many victims Of Strong-and brave' character;' among the most heroic must always be Temernbered the name of IC. M. Harley. 'The conduct, of operations "in this particular region is in the hands of General Misbitch, on whom the • King has recently bestowed the Grand Cross ??, St. Michael and St. George. Misiutch is a born-.general. His expulsion of tho Austrian? from Serbia after their hrst invasion-was a .masterly..-, act of strategy, and he possesses in "a marked degree the confidence both of his own troops and of the-Allies. Those who come into closest. touch with him :are

Hie M.T. uuit, attached to the Koyal Serbian Army, and the two hospitals under the auspices of the Scottish v/omen, both, well up in the front. Ono of these is. administered by a Miss Bedford, and Dr. Lilian Cooper, both of whom hail from Melbourne; the other lias three New Zealanders among its number—Dr. Agues Bennett, its head, Dr. Scott, and Miss Kerr. Dr. Bennett will be remembered- as the capable head of the Infectious Hospital at Shouhra, near Cairo, and she- is now doing as efficient and valuable work for tho Serbs.

"It is a very wonderful sidelight on the changed conditions brought about by the war to seo -women, many of whom in the days of peace concentrated their energies on the suifragette movement, now cheerily devoting their life and their time—under conditions that would try I any man—to nursing and the driving of I ambulances. Certainly, if I were a [ wounded Serb and had to be brought down from" the front line to a hospital along the awful roads that are th# rule, and not the exception, in that corner of Macedonia-Serbia. ' I 'would ask to be driven by a sensitive girl. Nor are these women free from danger. The ap-proach-bridge to ono hospital was destroyed five times before it was finally mado safe by the enemy retreating further into the hills, and within half a mile away may still be seen the outward visible signs of a hand-to-hand struggle. Those, who live in Salonika, 60 to 100 miles from the actual danger zone, are sometimes apt to forget what is endured, always with a brave smile, further up. though Salonika itself-can-not, after the events cf" recent days, b» regarded as:quite the safest place in tho world."

Miss Gubbins, well known in the Waikato district, who was masseuse at Wal-ton-on-Thanies, and was sent to New Zealand on a. returnine troopship in the samo capacity, is shortly to return to her work in England, states a W.aikato exchange.

Tho Matron of the Anglican Boys' Home acknowledges with thanks two sacks of garments sent by the Two-Gar-ment Society.