VOLUNTEER SISTERS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 93, 18 October 1915, Page 2

VOLUNTEER SISTERS

MISS PtOUT MAKES A FURTHER STATEMENT. Regarding the attitude taken up by the Hon. G. W. Russell in connection with the proposal to send members of the Volunteer Sisterhood to the front, Miss Rout, in a further statement made at Christchurch., stated that she had not the slightest intention of altering the arrangements made for the despatch of volunteer women by the Manuka and Medina because of .the conflict of authority between the Health Department and the Defence Department. On 15th September the following telegram, Miss Rout states, was received by her :—: — "Hon. Mr. Allen,— Will undertake to remit money and dispose of same as directed, accounting for it to senders. Sisters must travel at own expense, but Mr. Allen will be pleased to give, in-* troductions 'to authorities in Egyp£" This offer, Miss Rout adds, was accepted unconditionally, and the Hon. Mr. Allen confirmed it by receiving from her personally on 12th October the sum of £200 for specific volunteer women, Miss Rout being directed from the Ministerial office to Mr. Kodda, the officer in charge of financial arrangements at the Expeditionary Branch of the Defence Department. Later these arrangements were inquired into by the hon. secretary of the Volunteer Sisterhood and the matron, and found to be sufficient and satisfactory. The position of the Hon. Mr. Allen all along has, says Miss Rout, been that the matter of going out to Egypt is entirely one for the volunteers to decide for themselves, inasmuch as they go out unofficially, and not officially. Such considerations as to whether or not the services of the Volunteer Sisters will be acceptable in Egypt are relevant. First the Imperial War Office has just issued an order for 200 volunteer women that is, so-called untrained nurses ; second, ten ( ?) volunteer women left Wanganui several weeks ago in charge of a trained nurse, and we have not yet heard of- their expulsion from Egypt; third, three women who joined the volunteer Sisterhood in Wellington, one a trained nurse and two untrained, went out to Egypt at their own expense months ago as scouts, and they are now in service in a military hospital. Their experience, says Miss Rout, confirms and iustifies the wisdom and necessity of sending out this larger contingent, gathered from all over New Zealand. They will be asked to report to Colonel Rhodes, who, as Assistant Minister of Defence, was most courteous and encouraging to the Volunteer Sisters whilst he was in New Zealand. Miss Rout states that if necessary she is quite, prepared to go aboard the Medina with the volunteer contingent.