NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD

London, November 22. Sir Thomas Mackenzie gave.a small luncheou on Wednesday at the 'British Empire Club in honour of General Birdwood. ' . Miss Kathleen Leir, of Buuodin, was one of the performers at the Royal Academy of Music chamber concert yesterday afternoon. . .. Lieutenant-Colonel D. B. Blair, of the Defence Department, Christchureli, and Mrs. Blair, who were married a. few weeks ago, are at the Langhani Hotel. Friends of Colonel and Mrs. Athelstan Moore will bs interested to hear of the birth of their son at Richmond. Colonel Mooro was reeentlv attached to the N.Z.E.F. in France. The following Now Zealand doctors have been made Fellows of the Royal Institute of Public Health:—Captain C. Hayes, M.Ti.CS., France; Major Thomas M'Kibbin, M.8., London; Gaptain Ivan N. Spedding, M.Ii.C.S., Franco; and Captain Martin .B. M. Tweed, L.S.A., London. JUr.'Wiliara FitzGerald, M.8., C.M., lately one of tho Liverpool Rccruitinp; Medical Staff, and aft<>i»wards of the Liverpool No. 1 Medical Board, has. been appointed a Deputy. Commissioner of Medical Services und?r the Ministry of National Service. He is a- son of Mr. W. S. FitzGerald, formerly rector of tho Dunedin Training College, and afterwards Inspector of Schools for the Otaf!;o district. Major .Tames Rongwt, M.C., 0.1.Tv. (Gore\ is over from Franco to atLend tho Commanding Officers' course at Aldnrshot, and is staying with Mrs. Hengest at South Farnnnro'. Bcfor.? her marriage on September 20, Mrs. Hengest was Sister "Wilkes, A.EJt.C., N.Z.A.N.S., and. was attached to tlie Ist N.Z.O.H. at Brockenhurst. After her husband's return to France she hopes to do somo work at tbe hospital. Mrs Waite, wife of LicntenantGnlonpl "Waite.' M.C D.5.0., and Mrs. Whittle, wifo of LiVutenant Arnold Whittln (already invalided homo), left on Friday for Australia, vin Now ZcaMrs. Whitehead (N.Z.), lias returned to Southampton from Wales.. Her husliiml, Tjictiteiiatit-Conimnurler 11. TO. W Whitehead, is with FI.M.S. Hiinnibal.

The Mayoress (Mr. J. P. Luke) has received for the Citizens' Gift Fund the sum of £5 from "Union Jack," and from Mr. W. H. Cock, 10s. 6tl. On behalf of. -the Mayoress's Countess of Liverpool Fund Committee His Excellency tho Governor-General has cabled to Brigadier-General Chaytor the sum of £300 to'ho expended in providing a greatly-noedcd holiday lor the Volunteer Sisters, who have been working so long and so arduously in Egypt for the benefit of our meii. • Of this amount £75 was received from tho Liverpool branch in Chrjstalnirch, £68 Ins. from Dunedin, and tlie remaining amount was made up by the various branches at. work in the Wellington Military District. A cablegram was also sent to tho sister in. charge informing her that tlw money had been forwarded for this purpose.

States the "British Australasian" of. November 20: "General regret will be felt among Australasians at tie death of Dr. Elsie Inglis, the clever surgeon and founder of.that magnificent onterprise, 'The Scottish Women's Hospital,' not only because she lived for some years- in Australia and has many friends there, but because a, mini, her of Australian and New Zealand women have been closely associated in the work. No organisation run by women during the war has a finer iecord tban these bands of gallant women who have braved every conceivable hardship and danger to lend a hand in the Far East where help was so desperately needed. Dr. Inglis herself went through all the tragedy of both the Serbian and the Rumanian retreats, and the work of the unit among the fugitives and the wounded is a, story that perhaps will never be fully. known. On Saturday the unit returned to England, but Dr. Inglis, worn out with strain and overwork and the privations she had endured, gradually sank and died. She possessed the Order of the White Eagle of Serbia— an honour given to no other woman in the world—for her magnificent -fight; against typhus in the Serbian Army. Ws in England are not so quick to honour our own, it seems. On the outbreak of war, when Dr. Inglis offered her units to, Great Britain, the Home Government'refused them, no doubt considering that hospitals staffed, by ■women would be ridiculous. The Allisxi Governments were wiser. Now that she is dead, may I respectfully suggest to the authorities that they ought to bury her in Westminster Abbey, just to show that her own country did appreciate her after alii"'

There was a big attendance of seamen to meet Mr. J. M. Kennedy (their host) at the Sailors' Friend Society on Tuesday, when he presented a very popular programme. All the performers were very warmly received. There were several men from the ships in port who took part in the concert that were possessed of much talent. The competitions were of a novel nature, and Mr. Moore (missioner) • was in the chair. The performers Biuns and the Misses Neilson. and M'lntyre, and Messrs. W. Turrell, Cathcart, A. Inwards. J. M. Kennedy, Dowler, Camphell, M'Keriian. and Masters Durkin, Gibbons, and W. Turrcll. The host responded to a lively vote of thanks.