CARE OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 197, 15 May 1919, Page 2

CARE OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED

GENERAL RICHARDSON AND RED CROSS WORK The annual meeting, of tho Wellington f'entro of the New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross was held yesterday evening. There was A good attendance oT members, and Mr. T. Young, chairman of the executive, occupied the chair Apologies were received from Colonel Collins, Colonel M'CUvin, Mrs. Adams, and Mrs. J. Findlay. Before dealing with the business of tho meeting, the chairman Tend a letter from Sir James Allen, Acting-Primo Minister, in which ho acknowledged receipt of a copv of the annual report, and congratulated tho members upon the splendid work thev had achieved in tho work of ameliorating the sufferings of the, sick and wounded. In referring to the annual report, which the meeting agreed to- take as read, s)inco it had Jiecn published in the newspapers, Mr. Yoang said . that the demobilisation of tho Army hod now broirht tho responsibility of the care of sick and wounded soldiers to our own door. Many hundreds of them would now be quartered at Trentham, and much of their woTk would be. found in supplying, vocational training for tho men who would need it. In meeting the needs- ot thee men each district would be called upon by the council to supply its own mW-a 'Tn discussing the balance-sheet, upon which Mr. Yoninr warmly;..congratulated Mr. Joseph and .Mr. AY right, Mr. Youw? explained tnat the year was started with a sum in hand of ,£18,601 ifK 3d. With subscriptions and donations received during the following twelve, months an amount, was realised of .£131,487, of which A'9B,nSl Is. was received as the result of the Copper trail campaign instituted by Mrs. A. Pearco and Mrs. T. M. Wilford. After various disbursements- had been made, the executive was left at the end of March, 1919, with a siun in hand of £ii,iw -is. ''General Richardson, C.8., C.M.G., C 8.E., who had been asked to address tho meeting, and who was received with applause, said that two organisations in particular had emerged from the war with flying colours, and those two wero the Red Crow, for its care of tho sick and' wvunded, and the Y.M.C.A. in its 'mto ot the fit men. Other .organ, isalions also such as ho 'Salyatior Army, the Church Army, etc., had done good work, but these two wero outstanding. Wherever the Forces were there were the Red Crass and the YM'CA As a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force he wished to thank these representatives of tne Tied Cross who were present that evening for what lliey had done for tho I'orce. Thev had made things very pleasant and very much easier, and had done very good work indeed. Nothing could' be done without unity and co-operation, and the 'war had been so huge that .unless tlii nation had united all its forces wo could never have won. New Zealand I had done its share in helping to win the war, perhaps more than people at this end realised, and the Red Cross had supplemented whole-heartedly Iho efforts mado by the Government for the sick and wounded. Owing to the violations of the Red Cross by the Germans early in 19U that organisation was not able to cam- out its work for tho wounded as it would have wished. '1 hey were not always able to put up the Red Gross where it was wanted nor wero they always ablo to bury tho dead because of the violent and inhuman deeds done by the Germans. As those present knew, tlw British Empire, was not ready tor such'a ,traf. The "medical organisation, was insufficient, Kor were there enough, hospitals to cope with the wounded. These insufficiencies gave the lied Cross its'great'opportunities. It helped not only in the ordinary way, but by expanding in other directions'and supplementing in very many vvnvs the. efforts-of the Government. General Richardson referred to the inadequacy of the medical services of tho Belgian Army. When in that country hohnd seen a Red Cross "ear with a lied Cross driver (a woman) go right down to the tiring lines, collect the wounded, and drive away with them. Continuing, General Richardson said that until'he went to England he knew iiery little about the internal organisation of the British Red Cross. There I he found New Zealand represented by the War Contingent Associtaion, which ! was carrying out two functions, that of ! working 'and caring for the sick and I wounded, and also looking after the fit i men. and doing it well, 100. He had ! not- been able to understand why New •Zealand did not have its own Red Cross , organisation as the other Dominions did; ' why it did not Jiavc its own charter, its : own organisation. He felt exceedingly anxious that the status of New Zealand in this matter should bo equal, to that of any other country. With tho arrival , of Colonel Rhodes in England as Red j Cross Commissioner it was made posi siblo reorganise matters, and to got | the Red Crass at work on its own func- [ tion. I General Richardson proceeded to out- ' lino tho New Zealand Red Cross, as he ; hoped it would become. He described it as one organisation only, in which was [ contained tho St. John Ambulance As- ; sociatiou wherever its brandies t.wied. ' it shoukHiavc its own charter, and tlioio \ should be four district organisations i working under one central body. '.I hese district organisations would be snht up into detachments, and each detachment would be again divided so that amy town and village would have its o>ni work to clo. Ho thought that tnu woikers should have a distinctive iiuifimi. This was done in England, when the New Zealand Red Cross was being organised. All the workers were enrolled, and a distinctive uniform got for thorn with New Zealand emblazoned upon it. In rcard to the Red Cross in New Zealand the speaker suggested that each district should be given a badge representing its own detachment, and it should be properly organised-with its own head. That the New Zealand Red Cross should have its own charter ho strongly urged. ■Ml the women members shcald ir; luined so' that they would bo able to cope, with any sudden, emergency such as <r-i----demies and so bo utilised by the TubBe Health Department if necessary. I he same organisation could be cxpandi*! in time of war. ■ General Richardson told .'us 1 nam's that the money which was sent Home had been well expended for tho sick nnd wounded men. The War-Contingent Association had also done its work well m looking after them, nnd in this direction praise was, given by the speaker to Mr. Raymond. No sick or wounded soldiers after them, and on the whole with better provided for than were the New Zealand men. It was tho policy of New Zealand to •have all New Zealand men in New Zealaud hospitals. They, were nappier having their own comrades with them, with New Zealand Nurses to look after' them, and on tho whole with betler comfort* supplied to them from New Zealand. Tho money which had been sent Home for ambulance was not. always spent in that direction. So much money would be' needed for the men later on in helpina them to reconstruct their lives that he decided not to spend money unless it was abSi'lulcly. essential. ■ \ word of advice was given the incetiiv' to the effect that it would he well Red Cross ambulances now and so keep their organisation ready and up to date for work in New Zealand. Referring to what was done for the wounded in France, General Richardson said that there the New Zealand men were taken to the British hospitals. The N.Z. Stulioimrv Hospital was well up in. the front, and only once was it'in the. New Zealand area. Naturally it took in the wounded from all 'other forces in tho field, and New Zealand men, of course, while it was in their area. They were very glad of the opportunity of spending money upon British soldiers and ot giving what help thev could to them. Our own men wove sent; tn Boulogne en route for England, or nlso distributed throughout the various hospitals in France, afterwards lieing sent (<v convalesce at Staples. In France the chap.

ing nfloi' the sick ami wounded and visiting them. The New Zealand organisation in Egypt for the troops wns as Rood there as anywhere, and General Kichnrdsbn ppoko of tho work done for the men at tho Aotca Convalescent Home. Tn conclusion lio emphasised the need for unity-r for one organisation only throughout the country. Training was necessary so as to bo ready for peace emergencies as well as those of war, and there was still much work"to he done in ameliorating tho conditions of tho sick and wounded soldiers. Ho was of tho opinion, that it would take about two years to clean up tho problem of the disabled soldier. Thero would be main- difficulties arising in this connection, and if the Government did not do what the people thought 'might be done for them it was always possible to supplement (with duo consideration to regulations) tho needs of these men. AVork in such directions would assuredly bo greatly appreciated. Some discussion followed, awl Mrs. Luke explained what had been done in the nature of IfOil Cross work at (lie oufbreak of war, although the Hod Cross liiid not, as a body, then been organised. A very.hearty vote of thanks lo General Hiehardson for his most interesting speech was made.