WORK OF THE RED CROSS OVERSEAS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 182, 19 August 1937, Page 10

WORK OF THE RED CROSS OVERSEAS

Members of the Napier Townswomen's Guild Luncheon Club held their monthly gatlierixxg yesterday in blie Silver Slipper, when there was an - excellent attendance. The speaker, Miss E. M. Eling, who was xntroduced by Mrs Brucl Barnett, gave a very interesting talk on Red Cross work. "In all," stated the speaker, "there are 23 million adult members and 17| million junior. members of the Red Cross. This, she thought, would be very surprising news to many people. The King was patron and the Queen the president of the Red Cross of the British Empire, while Princess Royal was chief commandant of the V.A.DJs. There were 63 countries attached to" the International League of tho Red Cross with headquarters iu Paris, New Zealaud joining the league in 1931. Miss King spoke of tlie work dono in other countries. "Englaud," she stated, "liad a wonderful rlieumatism olinio which was run by the Red Cross, as many as 70,000 patienfcs attending in one year." Speaking of this clinic, Dr McLean, one time of Pukeora Sanatorium, told the speaker that it was tlie most interesting place he had seen during his visit to England. Czechoslovakia, on the same prinsiple that Britain observes two minutes' siience each year on Armistice Day, observes two minutes' siience for the Red Cross, which went to convey what they thought of the great work in that part of the world. In India, Miss Nora Hill was a wonderful worker for the Red Cross and Order of St. John, having many clinies for the unfortunate sufferers of leprosy aixd otlxer diseases. The Red Cross of Australia, continued the spfeaker, as well as condueting their own work, was responsiblo for the 'distribution of Lord Nuffield's fund there. In New South Wales, three homes w.ero run by the Junior Red Cross and in the words of Mr Harold Large, who had recently returned from t a trip to the East via Australia, it was "tho greatest junior organisation on this planet." Japan had 23 Red Cross hospitals, said tho speaker, in which therd wore 700 nurses, and each year 1500 nurBes were eiil'olled. Tliero were fresh avenucs openiiig up every day for Red Cross work, said Miss King, and so the work goes on. Mrs Barnett thanked Miss King for lier most interesting talk, all presexit according the speaker a very kearty | vote of thanks.