WAR IN CHINA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20003, 31 July 1939, Page 14

WAR IN CHINA

NEW ZEALAND DOCTOR STRAIN OF AIR RAIDS HOSPITAL IN DANGER ZONK An exciting account of the work of a doctor in war-stricken China was given by Dr. R. B. Grey, who has recently returned to New Zealand after 10 months in China, in an address in Auckland. Dr. Grey was sent to China by a fund sponsored by the St. John Ambulance Association and the Red Cross Society in New Zealand. No definite instructions as to which lines he should 1 work behind, the Chinese or Japanese, were given Dr. Grey, but the New Zealand 1 contingent eventually worked among the Chinese. For a while Dr. Grey was stationed at an Italian Catholic Mis-

sion Hospital, where he treated civilians and later wounded soldiers who were conducting guerilla warfare north of the Yellow River. Because of the slowness of transport, abdominal or head cases' died either before or on arrival at the hospital, said Dr. Grey. Bombed for Fortnight When he moved to Cheng-Chow, just south of the Yellow River, because of lack of work at the mission, Dr. Grey found himself in the danger zone. Every day for a fortnight the Japanese bombed the town. Open zig-zag trenches were preferred as protection from air raids to semibombproof shelters, in Which many died from ‘concussion when'direct hits were recorded. Japanese bombs were of (two varieties; destruction bombs made huge craters, but contact bombs, which were more feared, did little damage to buildings, but woulc spread over a: large area and inflict leg wounds. One patient .at the hospital Was killed by a bomb and one nurse slightly hurt. The staff of the hospital could eventually stand the strain no longer and the whole hospital was moved out of the town. Later, when it was learned that the Japanese were to enter the town it was considered advisable to return to the compound. Refugee Camp The Japanese advance, however, was cut off by (the flooding of the Yellow River and for some time there was comparative peace. Flood refugees poured in and the Government established a camp through which 15.000 persons passed at Cheng-Chow. With many cases of malnutrition and cholera the hospital was overwhelmed and the assistance of the League of Nations anti-epidemic unit was enlisted. Japan actually controls only nine or 10 per cent of the country which she claims to have under her control, said Dr. Grey. When the Chinese retreated they left very little in their towns. 'Patients in hospitals walked out or were Carried out by relatives.