GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 April 1917, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS.

Admiral Sir , Joint Jellicoe, at> th* l jH Women's United Seryico League: *Tka l "¥gS men have had two and a-half years ol constant strain and separation from, *a| their wives end families. The strain separation and of waiting—the latter it ' •li the worst—are severe. Nothing la mote '„ !6§j necessary to a man who is fighting than S|| to know that his wife is being kept in J a good spirits. 1 have had many letter* from children nnd wives asking when I would allowj'dndn' to come home. Some Ha| of them aro most touching, nnd I hav« •'tySj answered a great many—(cheers)—but IIS I have to say that the country needs the' fa 'dados.' It is my privnege now to sneaW '{■■!s on behalf of the men of tiio whole Navy - J "jjjji and not only of the Grand Fleet. I '""' l *j know the strain on the latter, but I "M also appreciate the feelings of the men 1 m who are serving further afield, and Tjflip' V« cannot console themselves with the hope.' „\'TJ that one day they will be in battle witbi," 'O tho enemy. ' ,',' 3 Dr. Platt-'Mills took the gloves off tff' •, 'jj alcohol and 'syphilis in a lecture in the 'fM Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday' - ,'M night. Here arc low of the word* ut« ' «8 tered by a woimin who knows what elm "jj|| is talking about:—She. asked her audi- '■' fflA ence to go in imagination»with her into "Ja a hospital, first into tho women's sjirgi- ! .?lnf cal ward, nnd then into the children.'* '.f, ward! Tlje women's wards' were always".. Ja kept full of patients, unfortunately, andh->-3<flgJ they came in for serious, and painful-. -T|j operations, and a very largo proportion ~^M of these .ttvic necessary, on account of '^B venereal'diseases-. in the children'* "S ward were little ones from three week* ,tJ| old and upwards wit If discharge from tha, -cil eyes, blindness, sores from tho soles at *8 the feet to tho heat], and a terribl* 5 -Jj wasting disease which gave untold suf* */S fering to these tragic infants, caused io ,• * a very largo proportion by drunkennesi '- £j and contagious diseases, of the p&rento. , ~S Mental deficiency was caused by these at ' '>s well. Quite 50 per cent, oi tho cage* l ..;|J were attributable to syphilis and 40 per ■ M cent, to drunkenness. The disease, which 3 turned happiness to misery, health to VM disease and brought ruin to a nation, *J was ono wjuca women shouU know .;«| alwrt* -i ■' -i'M