NOTES OF THE DAY
; One very good' feature of the Repatriation Department's _ plains is tho'arranceiiient that is being made —and is already partly in operation —for supplying returned soldiers with the fullest information regarding : the work of t-lio Department. Every man on arrival is given a copy of ', the licturiied Soldiers' ;Handbook, which contains full, particulars of .Tiyhat is.be.ing done in the. w&y.- of repatriation,', and'-fur-ther literature of a similar nature is in course of preparation. It is most necessary that , the men , on -arrival here should clearly understand what is being 'done to assist them, back into suitable positions in civil life. It is not only in their- interest that this should be done, but it f is a wise precautionary measure against "misunderstanding and; the development of grievances. . I,f the men clearly know_ the procedure to be followed in given circumstances and are made to realise that the nearest ■repatriation office or local committee is always at their service for advice and;guidance the work should go on smoothly and,with a minimum of friction and misunderstanding.
• Recent news from Australia goes to show that the influenza epidemic is now definitely on the wane boj:h in Victoria and,, in New South Wales; The'expcrience.of the latter. State seems to triumphantly demonstrate the utility of strict quarantine .regulations and _ other _ precautionary measures, ■, including i the gearing of masks, in checking the spread and limiting the ravages of the disease. To date there _ have been only eleven deaths / of'epidemic victims in New South Wales, and in all about/220 cases have been reported. These figures point to a very fine, performance by the State Health authorities, _ particularly when ,they aro set-against the corresponding figures for Victoria. In that State more than four thousand cases have been reported to dato and about 460 victims have ', succumbed to the disease. '
If is not only in New South Wales that the utility of organised measures in checking the spread of epidemic .-influenza, has been demonstrated. The medical correspondent of tlio'-London Times recently instanced a number of cases which more An' less parallel experience in New South Wales. In a certain hospital in London every case of influenza'was isolated from the outset and the wearing of masks and gowns was enforced on the staff. Not one of the numerous ordinary patients contracted the disease in this hospital. Of the staff a, very small number, were . affected, and there 'were no deaths. These ' results were achieved despite the fact that upwards, of a thousand influenza cases, 6bme of them very virulent, were admitted. Another case was that of a-big transport whose complement suffered heavily during her first voyage. On the second voyage out everyone wore a mask. Little influenza occurred on board, though at the timeHhe plague was rampant on both sides of the ■ Atlantic. In a third case the epidemic was suppressed- in a great city, San Francisco; by an order causing 'the inhabitants to wear masks in' the streets and public placcs. This plan, the correspondent observed, is stated to have stopped the outbreak in nine days. "These three instances," he adds, "demonstrate conclusively that prevention, in the case of this epidemic, was no impossibility." '
At their face value, to-day's reports mean that, an exceedingly serious state of affair's has arisen out of the dispute between Italy find the Jugo-Slavs. If it is a fact that the Jugo-Slavs have .ordered a gen-eral-mobilisation- and that' shots I have been oxchariged by the opposing I forces, the situation may call for
miieh.stronger action than the "lire- I ventive econoinie measures" the Peace Conference is said to lie preparing. The term "Jugo-Slav" now ! covers Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the southern Slavs lately subject, to the Dual Monarchy, for the'..whole of these Slav .groups arc now united in a single political confederation. Their dispute with Italy arises out of that country's demand for Dalmatia and 4 other Adriatic territories peopled wholly or pre-' dominantly by Slavs. In the"earlier stages of -the .war Italy justified these claims on the ground that command of the Adriatic was cssen : tial to her national security. Conditions are transformed,'however,'by the dismemberment of the Austrian Empire, and there docs not.seem to he any reason why Italy: should not agree with her Slav neighbours- to ]ay down a frontier ; which..--would give each nationality the- territory to which it is -justly entitled... Fortunately, although the outlook . at present is rather.alarming, there isa strong party in Italy which favours, moderation, and 1 is likely tostrongly oppose'any such conflict asis now threatened. The -Italian Minister, Signor Orlando., is - believed 'to he wholly in sympathy, with the policy of conciliation'and justice towards'tlio southern Slavs, 'but his Foreign Minister, BAron Sonnino, is of "the opposite faction' and exercises a strong personal influence. It has been said, that half a dozen moderate men on either side seated-round a table could quietly settle the Italo-Jugo-Slav. question. Untold harm .may be done if an attempt is made instead to find a; solution in armed conflict.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 6
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831NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 6
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