RED CROSS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1925, Page 4

RED CROSS.

TIIorCMTS CONCKUNINC ITS PHACHTIMK WO 11K. (Hrom an address by Dr H. M. H. Morgan, ineniher ol Wellington .Hxecntive Committee, New Zealand branch of the British Bed Cross Society and Order of St. John.) With feelings akin to reverential awe I approach this short consideration of a stupendous subject. " Tin; time has more than come, wrote, at the mid of the war, our most distinguished public health administrutor. Sir (ieorge Newman, “ for taking In,tin'!' step- in the organisation of a systematic and ordered attack oil the stronghold of preventable disease—parti, uhirly that nin-s of < rippling morbidity and invalidism which i- undermining the capacity and efficiency ol the people. We cannot continue wisely to relv upon piecemeal cflort, divided riiunsels. and emdliel ing aulhori-

The securing ol "this necessarily elo-.* eo-operatimi between all authorities is one ei' the fundamental purposes of the league of Bed Cro-s Societies. The War had many unexpected remill-. One i. -nit was that the world I,ugmi tu place new values on health and on life and mi the conditions and principles id both. The authors oi the Bam oi the i.eaglle of Nations were not blind to the necessity for -mb eo-opera I ion. nor to the advisability of entrusting such work to the Bed Cross Societies ol the world, for, in Article -A. they definitely male that. "The member- of tlm League (of Nations, agree to encourage and promote the establishment and cooperation ol duly authorised voluntary National Bed Cross Associations, hav-

ing as purposes the improvement ol health, the prevention ol disease, and the mitigation of -tillering throughout the world.” When the leading statesmen of the a arid were engaged at the Conference at Puns in attempting to formulate a plan for a League of Nations destined to bring about and maiiilaioii perman-

ent international peace, the most distinguished scientists ul the world were foregothered at Cannes in an International Committee ol Medical Science, endeavouring to organise a League lor ihe improvement by I hi- Committee, than which, it is obvious, there can ho no greater iivdieal authority, is worth noting at length : " We have carefully considered tlm general p'lrpn-e of the Committee of the Bed Cross Societies whereby it is :u"] Os"d to utilise a central organisation which -hall stimulate and in-urdi-nule the voluntary efforts ol ihe peopl" of the world ihroiie.h their respective Bed Crus- Noeieims which -hall assist m promoting tin- development oi sound mmi'iire- for public health and -aniiaii,m. the weliare ol children all I mother-.. ami education and training ol il;;r-e-. the control of (uherciilo-is. veiiml ill -i r malaria, and othei infectious and preventable diseases; and \i !i c ! i -hall endeavour lo spread the

lid'! lit -I, iem-e and Ihe wa mil h of huieau sympathy into every corner "I the world and shall invoke on hchall of tin; broadest, humanity not alotte the re nits of science hut the daily .'Holds of men and women of every country, everv religion, and every race.

"We believe ilia! the plans now he ing developed should at Ihe earliest practicable moment he pul into idl'ccl am! placed ai the disposal of the world. In no nay call this be done so cll'cetively as i hroiigh the a.gemy ol the Bed'Cross ”

With ueh authority behind II , tie re i little let that. I lie plan lorinulater by ih" late Mr Henry P. was hailed with aerhumit mn by tlm war-weary nations, and enthusiastically adopted Ii! Into.

So eanio into I" ing the l.eagiie of Bed l ro.'S Soeiel ies. A study o| tlm

tin nolilli It el llm 1 1 <■ Ih< ■in lot i I y Ia r reaeli i lex aim ..ml eli.iert s~| 11,., v * .el. I l' -d ( ros. '.. ■ let i" ■ tt hose head olli, e ’I It- I. ■::■,!!.■ e.f lied Cros- i■ i . .him! . Mile.., | 11; I!H a 111 i \ s rel-iule-. laini ic •. .i.i.l olla-r detii,latinw lories and to l.nild op tlirooeli..ol the u.,rl. the ■ 1 1111 i. l r Re.i t ro'~, a movemelil al lea.h. the I, I -1 mot el: en t ol eliild tel, J lie V. or Id ha- , I. 11. it'. II . a lII. Me

n -n! u|. mil. in i lie tt or, I . oj Si i I ‘hi tip (Dili, . ■• i . .o Inspiring a ■ a le "... to lie aol id that h oiiplil t., lire t!i itoadlirlion ..I etery eivili---d people,' al,! wiiieli i- a ■ greal .-r promise I u - all t Imn ant League ol Nation:The League of lied Cross Sociel je Ini', in its clearing-house Run-all o .Medical Research. the Inlowing depart meiiis: D(‘partment. ol .Medical In formation and I’ii lilical ton ; Child Wei tare: Tiihereulo'.s ; ( omiumileahle l)i----ea-es: Nursing: Sanitation: Vital Sta ttstios; Seeial Hygiene: Malaria; In diislnal l.alioi atories ; and a soeiatei will, these are I’uMie Health l.ahora tei i, l s, Museums ami l.ihraries. A pre-eut it is organising all 111 lonia Lional Committee for Social work. It is working as an almost pence i.rpanisaliiai in .7:', (nullifies of lln W orld, and our object is to -1 rengl Itel th.e Dominion's organisation to ettaldi this country to obtain that maximuir hetlelit which other eiiunrries are already: receiving, its well as eniuribu1111ii liv our unity of to tin successful outconv' of 1 1te Dengue's endeavour. In each of ilte-e various depaTtii'ents ol the League more work Inis been done in the last live years than m all preceding years. The nations of tin- earth have realis'd Ilte possibilities of tile l.caguo work lor the worlds’ houerment and have placed the best brains of their 'eve-mi countries at tin- League's dispt'slll. The League of find Cross Societies was lie- only Snei.-U requested l.\- the •Supreme Keonoinic Council of August. 1 !-• I.;f. to send a medical commission to Central and Kustcrn Ktirepe to iuvesiig.'ito fypbils and oilier epidemics that were i!ii i-atenii ig Kurope. The report oi this commission a- well as iis sic. Cess! 11 i work made a profound impres-

sion on public opinion throughout the world, fhi miuieroiis occasions since, --iiiiilar work has been done In- roqiiest "I ii..- League of Nation.-. lie- League of Red Cross Societies "a.- also rcietitly approached by the League of Nations with a iequest to endeavour t-i develop an Intoi national Government Rebel liislitllte. hi many

of tin- smaller Kui'opean countries the! part, played by .utr beneficent Health Department is doue wholly l>v tin 1 Red, Cross imdcr tin- goddam e of the Lea-, yue, ami it i~ to tile Red Cross alone J that tbo-.e countries owe their physical and moral ropem-ratioii. In the lar.por: countries, -tub as Canada, I'nited ; State-, and Australia the Red Cross is j of infiinitely varied usefulness, and is rapidly extending it- spheres of scr- - liy its urbanised relief, the l.ea.pue of Red Cross Societies lias literally sav-' ed many of the people of the Near Kast from tit ter extinct ion. j Cronl ns are the immediate and tangible visible results of the Dengue to date, it has lan recently begun its labours, and the future is rich with tin- prnnii.se of grottier good to come. , While in the more backward countries, relief and health measures must, lor a time he its chief work, m the more enlightened ones the instructional side of it-= programme must necessarily preponderate. Nurses financed by the New Zealand Red Cross, and trained by the Lea- ' gtte's -Scholarship course are already

working in New Zealand, and inure are at present being trained. Their main work is instructional, and already those at work have succeeded so wonderfully that the New Zeaalnd Health

Department has begun to -end their matrons to London to undergo the some training, while the Otago l Diversity .Medical School is at present instituting a Nurses' Postgraduate course | modclied on that ot the League. In the Wellington province alone instruction is already being given to well over 1000 students a year. But for the full realisation of the ultimate and lasting benefit the League of lied Cross Societies has declared ■ Its faith ill youth. l "Tlie old, old order ehaiigeth. giving i plaie to the new.” and youth is now ; being trained in a different school - from that which produced our old stu- - pidilies and our present day distress. It is a far bigger world, a more huf man world, a saner world in every way - that youth is entering. Hoi’ces for - good are at work that we in our youth - never knew. And it is to the credit of the League of Ii"! Cross Societies

that it ha- devised lor youth a programme ol use!uhie-- that has not only supplied a conscious need ill education, but. has fitted it in so well with the school curriculum, that it has iouiid itwav into the schools ol every civilised count rv. The Junior Bed Cross movement was llic onlv inovciuoui whose universal adoption in the schools ol the -World was approved. In' last year's World ( onlerem on Hdnealioii. This Conference ini luded UA.tlOt! delegates from II countries. The Junior Bed Cross, now numbering 7,1."U1.CtK1 uicniher.s has spread ini', the -rhools of b'i countries; j n the last live vears. The merit of such a niovoiiK'iil i- obviously worth very carelul study. It is the most hopelul nioce-

meiit in sight to-day. "It is.” savs J. 11. Hiiilay. (ominissioner of Hilneation. New York State, "the most lasting and important educational idea the war has produced.” " This movement,” writes the Secretary of the Victoria Hdnealioii Department, "strongly commends itsell to administrative ollicers and teachers.” "Those wlio realise the contribution il ha- made to education.” said a prominent lonelier at the World Cutilcrenee on Hdnealioii. "will never be willing 1.0 see tlm organisation withdraw its inllimnce from tlm schools." Already il is surely progressing among the schools ol New Zealand. | Sir. New Zealand is Inn beginning l,i enter up m its i.ortion of thi- enormous iu'd Cross Peacetime project one so fraught, "till potent possibiu

New Zealand's Bed Cro.- Soon-iy tor peacetime work began with hnalieos a moll ul iim In NIL. In lilt'. over - years H l;a- built no an org.ili-ia t ioll o! viriiili uli mb ex penis lo expand ill-oniii.ii-li nit' in the nexl year into every pi'oi lie • and district. Th 'i'. .ore nov, is t lie irii ua! i line in 11 In- pov of I lie mol Me Ml lo N'ni Zealand, and the ii'i'mtil time uiil decide v. !:-l her New Zealal.il ii ill be aloii ■ ing the nations of I he earth in that its parin'.patina will lie ot till I<■ v.arth or whether N. u Zealand nil! proudly i .d.e it , place with I ho-.- mu nuts in lhe onward inarch of progress in humanity'. (Tindili n. wrought by its senior work, and in the e:d,i rgem in of in - teruailonal understanding ami goodwill. ivhiili is (lie aspiration of it- junior section. My oalv dread I' lhai lie, witii our liuil ■ peuers of understanding may prove incapable of fully grasping the ill: mil a hie isi- -iiuiil n s of what is. emil ting, only i lungs divine, even now Ih r most magimieeiit nil" eptloii ef 1 II"