WOUNDED SOLDIERS OF FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 305, 13 September 1918, Page 3

WOUNDED SOLDIERS OF FRANCE

j THE NURSE'S PART AN INTERVIEW ■\Yhik' we. have lirard imioli in gencm] terms «f the woadvrVul way in which fchfl woiin'n of I'Yiim" are shutil(icriiij; .the burdens laid upon them by the ravages of war, we have not heard so much of tfieir care of the wounded niid suffering; soldiers of France, and for this reason it was otf great'interest to hear from Madame Rogers (with her husband us interpreter) something of what is done, in this direction. Madame Rogers \vns a member of the nursing organisation known as Les Dames Franeiii.ses, which had as its president Madame Carnot, the wife of l'lcsideii't Carnot, who was assassinated in Lyons some years ago. This, and another society, "Les Secoiirs ntix Blessed Militaires," were the two principal nursing organisations in France previous to the outbreak of war. Tho iormer organisation, "Les Dames Francaises," had two kinds of mombertship,- one consisting of subscribers who interested themselves in helping to finance the work, and in matters ofl organisation, the members belonging to tho second category doing the actual work oif nursing, entering the hospitals, studying, and going through the course, which entailed two years of work. " At the end of tho two years the- »tude»t in practical work sat for her diploma, which -when obtained guaranteed her standing as one who was fit to be called upon when need arose. It was to this latter body that Madame Rogers belonged. As all the world knows to its Bitter cost, that need arose when war was loosed upon the world in 1914, and tho mimilitarised nursing organisations of France were at once i placed under the control of the Minister for War. Every member capable of undertaking active nursing duties was called upon to give her services, receiving not a penny in return, and from that time onward till the war is over-or she is unfit for further service in the hospitals, every member, of'these nursing bodies is as much under military orders aa is the. soldier o» the actual field of battle. Not eveiPmay a nurse go outside the gates of the hospital or cross the road, even when off duty, without a pass. •As already these nurses do not receive a penny in payment of their work, and thefy pay for overything that is given, them in hospital, even for their meals, their uniform, their washing, and all tlfe daily needs of life. And the money which is paid into* the hospital funds in this way goes to its upkeep. Perhaps such information as that may help the people of this fortunate country to realise how supremely the women of France are giving themselves for their country without stint, without reserve, to the last iota of their strengtlH And yet another fact may be gleaned, and ;hat is tho terrible drain iupon tho k financial resources of France. To the wounded soldier of France the woman who wears the Red Cross, upon her arm and who does for him in his anguish of body nil that lies in her power to relieve that suffering, is. more than nurse, sho is, figuratively speaking, mother, wife, or sister, the confidante to whom he tells all his troubles and all his joys. There is not an incident of his home life, not a member of his family with whom his nurse is not made acquainted, so far as words can make her, and the first thing the soldier asks her to to when he is brought into hospital is to write to his home and tell thorn there that he is just a little hurt—they aro not to worry, he will soon be all right. Many, many lotos Madame- Rogers wrote for her soldiers in the hospitals in the Eastern .part of France, in which she nursed for two years—soldiers who, with all their magnificent .bravery, turn to their nurses for comfort, for courage, for inspiration for the future as a child does to .its mother. ,And in the gaiety of heart, the buoyancy of spirit with which tho nurses meet each day, and which they know they must not. surrender, the soldier finds the answer to his needs. And of the spirit of loving-kindness, of comradeship in suffering, the following story which was told bv Madame Rogers, was an illustration. Into her ward of the hospital was brought one day a badly-wounded soldier from Drittany. He was dying, and he longed for his mother that he might see her, before death came to him. A collection was made throughout the hospital, the old mother was sent for, but she . arrived too late to see her son alive. ' Tho collection that had been made was added to, and tho mother was* able to take her son's body homo with her to bo buried in his own native village, whore all his people before liim '■ad been buried. And that little story was typical of many of the things chat were constantly being done by nurses and patients aliEe. And when decorations are being bestowed ujion any of tho patients in hospital, everyone takes part in the ceremony, the patients who can .walk parading at the head of the recipient's bed, as in one caso .that was related, and tho nurses at the foot. Such is the spirit of crinradcsltip, of the sharing of a common, life together in hospital. Speaking of the special mission upon which he, with M. ilauul Bigazzi, is engaged, that of the exhibition of an art collection for the benefit of the blinded soldiers of France, M. Logors said that iu France there- was no provision niadw for tho blinded soldier. When, he loft the hospital there was nowhere' for him to go unless, sqmo charitable- person took him from tho streets. And there were, a little while ago, 55.000 blinded soldiers in France. It is hoped to. build a homo where those who have nowhere to go and none to look after them may find a refuge and be taught some occupation suitable to their war-made limitations. And if the funds are large enough it is hoped to build a secondary home in which the blinded men who have families may live' together with him. Unless' that is done, the terrible problem is—what is to become of the blinded soldiers of Franco? Of tho men who live in. darkness that the world would have freedom? The Camp Commandant at Featherstnn acknowledges with thanks receipt of the undermentioned gifts for Mie ramp hospitals:—Wairarapa Hospital Committee (per Mrs. Q. Donald): September 2, two fowls, one case of tinned fruit, books, and oranges; September 8, one case of oranges, three fowls, games, and puzzles. Salvation Army, Fcatherstor.: Sweets and handkerchiefs. Red Cross Society, Featherston, flowers.