HELPING OUR WOUNDED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 293, 20 May 1915, Page 5

HELPING OUR WOUNDED

iSTATK.MLNT liV T!!,-: COYKIiXOI!. A DOMINION HOSPITAL SHIP. suppout op public wantkd. mokk xursls to hi-: skxt. Tiie following is the full text of ilic message to the people of Now Zealand issued bv His Lxcollcncv (lie (ioveruor, Lord Liverpool:-. "1 feci tliiit tin- lime lias arrived when 1 should place certain facts before you with a view to seeking both your help and co-operation. ''During the past three weeks my thoughts have, like those of everyone else in these Islands, been centred on the operations which are being carried on in the Dardanelles by the men of the Dominion. Nor can 1 refrain from telling you how deeply both Lady Liverpool and J feel for those whose homes have been visited by sorrow, or who are in grave anxiety for the safety of those who are near and dear to them. "1 doubt if any of us were prepared for the very large number of casualties which have occurred, and, realising the strain on those responsible for the medical ami hospital arrangements iu the .Mediterranean, the Prime Minister asked me to telegraph to the Secretary of State, asking whether there was 'any particular uav in which New Zealand could further'assist in the care of the sick and wounded. On May l(i [ .reccived a reply, which, while assuring me that adequate arrangements had been made, stated that the provision of a fully-equipped hospital ship, primarily intended for the conveyance of New Zealanders from the front to base hospitals, which would a 1.,0 be available for such woik :'.s the Imperial authorities considered m eessary, would "be most welcome at the present juncture. Mr. llarcourt also added that he would be •ilad if additional nurses could be seta to Malta and Lgvpt.

I'EOPLIC TO ASSIST IX KQTTPMKXT. "T feel that we should ail like to have :i share in this work, and while the co-i of hiring, fit tin;; out, and manning a hospital ship has been undertaken liy tin; \c\v Zealand Government, I am writi'ig this letter with (lie ohjeet, of asking the people of these Islands if they will assist me to equip her for the great service for v.'liieii she is required. "As the Head of till' Older of St. .Tohii in Xew Zealand, I have asked all the four centres to work solely for our own men in the Mediterranean, hut, in addition, 1 want to appeal 1o everyone to assist me. because much will be required, not only for the ship, but for the station hospitals which are shortly leaving these shores, and for the base hospitals at Malta, and in Egypt. Bedding, blankets, sheds, pillows, pillow eases, pyjamas, surgical instruments, bandages, niedoeincs, drugs, etc., will nil he necessary, some of which will have to be ordered in England, and in a few davs' time I shall hope to publish a complete list of what is required; in the meantime 1 have telegraphed Home for full information.

"Tin; Dominion has nobly subscribed to the relief of those who, like the Belgians, are in dire distress, and has up to now sent away upwards of ,C3I)(),0')0 in money and kind, which averages out to over ,00,000 a month since the beginning of the war, yet I am Mire that any appeal for our own people will receive as ready a response as was given on behalf of our distressed Allies.

NEEDS OF THE MEN. . '■' While making this appeal on behalf of the nick and wounded, it, must not he forgotten that the needs of those in the lighting line are equally pressing, and for this reason 1 trust that those who have so ably assisted Her Excellency and her committees in the past will not slacken in their ell'orts to proVide every comfort for our troops at present at the front and those who will be leaving our shores from time to time. ".[ shall he glad if these who wisli io as&ist me will pay any contributions in money into any branch of the Bank of New Zealand, and at the same time forward the bank receipt to Mr. J, Hislop, Under-Secretary, Department of Internal Allah's, Wellington, stating; the object to which the money is to be devoted. Any gifts in kind should be sent to any of the secretaries of the four centres of the Order of St. John in New Zealand, whose names and addresses are as follow: "Wellington: Mr. 11. B. Bainbridge, 2.1 Panama Street. '•Auckland: Mr. W. Rattray, Ambulance Station, Rutland Street. Christchureh: Mr. C. J. Trcleaven, 110 Worcester Street. '•Dunedin: Mr. ,1. E. Bone, tllen Avenue, Mornington; or to The Honorable Dr. Collins, lli Hobson Street, Wellington." (sgd.) LIVERPOOL, (iovemor. May 18, 1015. SHIP TO SAIL IN THREE WEEKS.

HON. DR. COLLINS IN CHARGE. The Hon. Dr. Collins, of the New Zealand Medical Corps, will go in charge of the hospital ship to the Mediterranean, and it is probable that the medical stall' for the ship and the hospitals to be established will include many of the best known surgeons in this country. Altogether. WO nurses are to be sent, and !>,"> of them are to go by the Sydney boat this week. The re -t will follow later. It is honed, and, indeed, expected, that the hospital ship will be lilted ready to sail in three weeks.

THE MAHENO SELECTED. A GRATIFYING RESPONSE. Auckland, Last Night. Speaking «t a public meeting to-night, tlie Governor expressed extreme gratifiCiition at the manner in which the people dl' the Dominion had received his appeal for tlio equipment of a hospital ship. He felt at first tliat (he people wore already supporters of so many funds they might feel that their generosity was being too greatly taxed, hut before the appeal had been published 24 hours, lie bad received indications of support from nil over the Dominion. He hud already received a donation of .£IOOO from the Union Steamship Company. He proposed to leave for Wellington at tin; earliest possible moment to devote bis energies to the task of seeing (hat the Maheno, when she did depart, was or." of the best equipped hospital ships ever despatched, "f have not been allowid to go on active service,'' added His Excellency, "but in this way i will be ablo to do my little bit." (Applause.)

i RESPONSE TO THE APPEAL',' I m TWO KIM-: '!V!\\\T!< v >'s\ .*v i-a Diinedin, Last Night. The directors of the Union Steamship Company decided at. a meeting to day to, vote C 1(100 in response to the appeal of the Covcrnor for the equipment of a' hospital -hip, Hhiei, i .o ).- ... ■~! d by the Dominion, ai.d for the si:].ply of comforts for siclc and wounded soldiers. Messrs Speight and Co. Icive donated £")0ll in response to the (lovornor's ap* peal for funds for a hospital ship and comforts for wounded soldiers. j ACTION AT WANCANUI. ' , Wanganui, Last Night. ' Big eil'orts are being made to miaS, funds for the hospital ship and for com* forts for our wounded. The St. John's Ambulance A-ociai lion is organising a street collection', and flie lingbv Union is devoting the proceeds of the Tarauaki AVangairui match to the same purpose. Local medical men to-day subscribed .CIOO for the equipment of a hospital bed in the Mediterranean, or wherever required. «,T; NEW PLYMOUTH RESPONSE* DAILY NKWS LIST. AW will be pleased to acknowledge and remit to the authorities any subscriptions towards this very deserving fund. We are pleased to head the local ami the maxim about giving quickly, applies with considerable fon-e to jhis fund. We are pleased when the focal fund, towards which we received las* night two donations. Subscriptions in hand: ,C s. «1. Taranaki Dailv News ft 0 0 !''■ <!• C.irthew r, o 0 A. W 10 0.