HOSPITAL LIFE IN EGYPT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 161, 31 March 1916, Page 2

HOSPITAL LIFE IN EGYPT.

The Brave New Zealanders Straight Talk to Shirkers. The Premier Hall, Pukokoho, was thronged on Wednesday evening when an address on the War was given under tho auspices of tlio local Presbyterian Church by Chaplain-Captain Angus Macdonald, who after several months' ministration in the military hospitals in Fgvpt returned invalided to the Douiiniou towards tho end of last year and who with ht3 hoaltii now restored expects to depart at an oaily data to once more take up duties at tho front. The Rev. S. Nixoi presided. PAIN AND SUFFERING. Chaplain-Captain Macdouuld, who was dressed in khaki uniform, prefaced his remarks by saying that he appoarol that night as ouly tho ordinary Angus Macdonatd of tho rank and filo. lie camo tliero with a stern and serious message, which doalt with pain, suffering and sacrifice. as it was only by realising those things that New Z\ilanders could thoroughly understand what the war meant. He was not a public speaker and if it was not for his interest ia tho bravo New Zealand boys who were bravely fighting for the causo of their country he would n)t bo on tho platform that night TREATING THE WOUNDED. The rev. gentleman then proceedel to give an insight into life in tho military hospitals in- Egypt, saying he personally had been anxious to go to the front b'dt General G>dley had decreed that he should perform duty at the base. Chaplain Macdonald asked his hearers to picture to themselves trainload after huinload of wounded soldiers boing brought back to Cairo from Gallipoli via Alexindiia and tin trains arriving at night time. Then the hospital staff got busy and although many 01 the nurses had beon engaged throughout tho day they would plead to be allowed to remain on duty s) as to comfort the boys and th\v put in 24 hours continuous duty of their own free will without being relieved (applause). The cases woro classified i and the wounds were dressed but i nevor a groan or murmur was heard from tho gallant sufferers. In leol, often one of tho wounded would say that some friend of his wantel at- ! tention mora than ho did. Thus even in their own pain they wanted ■ others to get attention first and that • allowed that the New Zealanders i were chips of tho old breed and wore : ready to siand an operation as fear- ■ lessly as they had stood up in the trenchos (applause). Many of them wore mere lads, mauy were only ■ boys with tho down of youth still on t their faces. ' FOR DEFENCE OF WOMAN* 1 KIND. » "Then continued tli9 speaker) . asl looked at the boys my mind would travel back to my homo ia 3 NewZwland and I would see my t little ones tucked up iu their cj;s x and enjoying peaceful slumber and j my wife going to bod iu safety. } Similarly in every home iu NewZealand I thought of the little ones \ going safely to rest. Then I thought t that the roasm that such could be 3 done was that tho boy before me had left his homo because he had hoard the call of tho Empire and > the call of his kith and kin t and had slid to hiunelf, 'My mother l shall never be disturbed by tho - enemy, my sister shall not be dis- • honoured as so many women have 1 been by the euemv, and to prevent , that I will go and fight the enemy in his own country.' I used to see 3 halos of glory on tho lnals of those boys who were fighting the battle of tho right and through tho right tho battlo of God. Those boys are fighting your fight. Thoy have diel for you and not for themselves and until you peoplo of the Dominion grasp that fact you will continue to live the lifo of iillono.es and frivolity that you now do." CLOT If IN @ GIFTS APPRECIATED Chaplain Macdonald next mentioned how mu<di the gifts of clothing from tho women of New Zaaland wero appreciated by tho boys, j The Matron, he said, brought clothing and garments into the wards for the wounded to be dressed in and every article had beon sent from the Dominion. The boys were told of that and then they realised that they had not beon forgotten by the women of Now Zealand. And, continued Captain Macdonald, " If you ladies ouly knew tho joy it gave the lads after having lived in the dirt and dust of tho Peninsula to find themselves iu clean garments you would not bother if your house became untidy whilst you worked. Some of you are doing splendidly, some a littlo and others nothing." COMFORTS FOR THE WOUNDED. Tho speaker uext roferred to tho funds available for buyiug comforts for tho wouudod He paid testimony to tho promptitude with which immediately ou tho arrival in Egypt of tho first batch of wouuded the Minister of Defence ,the Hon. James Allen) had cabled out a sum of i'looo, followed by another £IOOO the next day, and several subsequent sums. Chaplain Macdonald said that knowing something of Eastern Me ho was asked to administer tho i'uuds and lie gave an abusing account of purchases of goods he oil'ected iu the Egyptian markots from tho cunning and grasping nativos. In disputing prices he said his knowledge of the native lauguago often failed him and then as a Highlander he fell un tho Gaelic dialect i:ud that gonorally had the desired ehect. Laughter). Iu addition to the 1 Government money there was what was known as " Tho Padre's Fund" or " The Free aud Easy Fund," contributed by privato douars iu New Zealaud and which immeasurably helped them in thoir work. Ouo month he had £ls to spend iu that way, auother month £oo, and in one particular mouth £IOO. The boys, ho added, thought all the more of what was bought for them when tliey know that in many casei the money had come from the women and childreu of New Zealand.

DYINa REQUESTS GRATIFIED Chaplain Macdonald next gave a few pathetic instances of the closing hours of some of the boys. Some, he said, came back only to live a few hours or days, and as tbey w( rj nearing their end they used to have strange fancies, and at whatever coat or sacrifice they (the Chaplains) siw that their last requests were gratified. In practically every case the dying "boy" would speak of his mother, brother, sister, wife or little child. Thus one " boy" thought his mother and little sister were to visit him and he asked for a pair of nail-scissors and a hand mirror in order to make himself tidy for their arrival. He (Chaplain Macdonald) went into the city and purchased the at tides Again, another " boy " fancied he was to be sent to England and writing out a cable accordingly to be despatched to his mother he figured it out that the cable would cost £5, for which amount he asked and which was given to him. Again, another hero, who was gradually passing away, asked for a silver photo-frame which he wanted placed on a table by his bedside to hold the portrait of his girl in New Zealand, which he carried about with him. That was also forthcoming. "In fact," said Chaplain Macdonald, ''l am not aware of one New Zealand boy dying in Egypt without his last request being granted." THE WORK OF THE NURSES. The speaker then paid tribute to the splendid work of the New Zealand nurses in Egypt. Their acts of devotion and self-sacrifice, he said, were never mentioned in de«patchei nor were they decorated with honours. They were, however, doing a glorious work in the background and many a New Zealand mother was still able to claim asm living as the result of the devotion and faithfulness to duty of the New Zealand nurses. (Applause). RELIGIOUS UNITY. Chaplain Macdonald next proceeded to refer to the sinking of all religious differences amongst the Chaplains doing duty. All were banded together and Protestant and Catholic worked hand in hand, not for one's particular church but for the good of humanity. As an instance of the band of fellowship that prevailed the speaker drew from his pocket a small golden Cross that had been handed him by a Catholic Priest as the latter was departing for the front, the Priest when making him the gift requesting him to comfort any of his Roman Catholic flock with the Cross if a Priest was not available. And, said Chaplain Macdonald, " I subsequently laid the Cross on the forehead of a dying boy, who was a rnembar of the Catholic Church." CONTEMPT FOR THE SHIRKER.

The rev. gentleman concluded an eloquent and stirring discourse, which frequently brought toara to the eyes of his hearers, by expressing his contempt for and horror of the shirker. " What do you think," he said, " of the man who cm really and conscientiously go and yet who stays at home? What do you women think of him '? Our boys are lighting so that the women of New Zealand may lead a pure and honourable life and so that the little children may grow up under the tlag of their fathers. To me the shirker is an unclean thing. I cannot understand him. I am very sorry for the mother who has raised such a boy. The time will come when the shirker will be sorry for it for the stain of dishonour will fall on his . children, who will blush for shame when in some childish quarrel they are told that their father was a shirker and never went to the war. I have seen some of th 9 brave Maoris carried into the hospital wards and I would rather that a daughter of mine should marry a full-blooded Maori than one of the contemptible shirkers. Women, of New Zealand, if you aUow your daughters to keep company with a shirker you are not doing your duty. He is an unclean creature, for whom you should show scorn and contempt." (Applause). VOTE OF THANKS. Upon the motion of Mr C. K Lawrie, seconded by the chairman, a vote of thanks to Chaplain-Capt. Macdonald was carried with acclamation, and the proceedings closed with the singing of the National Anthem.