THE CLEMEN'S CASE

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 140, 10 December 1918, Page 2

THE CLEMEN'S CASE

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

The following statement regarding the death of the soldier Roy Clemens at Hanmer made by the Defence Minister (Sir James Allen) yesterday : —

As , promised, I have had inquiries made with respect to the case of trje late Private Roy Clemens, about whom an open letter Was addressed to each member of Parliament, and desire to make the following explanation:— 1. The fact that the parents desired Private Clemens removed from the annexe to the main hospital-was brought under the 'notice; oi Surgeon-General Henderson, by Mr.' D. Seymour, secretary of the; Returned • Soldiers' Association. Dr. Maguire was immediately communicated with, and replied that every attention' was accorded Private Clemens at the" annexe, but to satisfy the mother he had made' the transfer. Dr. -Maguire denies that there was' neglect' or ;- that he expressed his strongest disapproval of the treatment of Private Clemens. f

2. Private Clemen6 was admitted to the Auckland Hospital on 13th June, suffering from gas-poisoning, and made marked improvement there. He him; self requEsted—a change from Auckland. The change to Hanmer was deemed advisable by Drs. Maguire, aid Williams, and both were; of the'opinion that the patient was in a fit state to travel. The Assistant-Director of /Medical Services accordingly issued the necessary travelling warrants, and provided a sergeant orderly. Dr. Maguire himself reports:—

"Both Dr. Williams and I consider that Private Clemens was in a fit condition to undertake the journey, otherwise he would not have been sent. I asked for. a first-class ticket for the patient and for an orderly to be sent, and this was arranged by th,e A.D.M.S., Auckland."

The sergeant was a member of the staff of a hospital ship, and had been connected with St. John Ambulance for fifteen years." The Department regard him as capable, trustworthy, and reliable. ' ." ' '

3. Permission was. not . refused Mr. Clemens to travel with his 6on. A young lady presented a letter addressed to Surggpn-General Henderson, marked "Personal," and informed his secretary that Mr. Clemens-was going'to meet his son at Palmerston North and wanted a" -j^ilway paes to IVellington. The secre-' . tary—not Surgeon-General Henderson—;' informed , her: that a railway pass was only given where the patient needed assistance and was not in charge of ail orderly. As the office of the Director* General of Medical Services wa? not aware as to the arrangements made, the lady was advised to inform Mr. Clemens to approach the Director of Military Hospitals, who had the papers. Evidently Mr.., Clemens did so, and it was then ascertained that permission to travel was asked for. There was really no necessity :to niake such an appfica-> tion, as the soldier was travelling by an! ordinary .passenger train, and not by a troop train. 4. The! patient was not regarded as a cot case,- arid the transfer from train to steamer wa* left to the sergeant orderly, who had power' to engage motors. If Mr. Clemens was of opinion, that a rest was advisable." in Wellington, the Department. Would haVe raised no objec-, tion hadhe kept, his'6on back and in-i formed- the medical authorities in the morning, if .he could not get- into touch with,them earlier. The'fact that the patierit reached Wellington on a public holiday,-.: w'sis no doubt responsible for Mr.. ■■Clemells's inability to get into 1 touch.; with .the medical'"officers, but in order i 4oKgv[ai 1d >w fur aB: possible against just.'jSucnv'ft Contingency arising, an. in-. qiiiry-tefepfctrie was early established at Head-cjuarte.rs, with an attendant in charge dayrand night. ...'., ~ Regarding the assertion that-"without some superior authority he (the orderly) was obliged to continue the trip," the 1 ■sergeant reports that he suggested breaking the journey at ■ Wellington, but the patient replied that he ■ would rather push on and finish the journey. 5. It is.admitted that the patient was in a weak condition on arrival at Hanmer. Lieutenant-Colonel MakgillrsaW the patient at Christchurch, and gave; him breakfast, and considered that as lie had withstood the sea trip so well he Was ■ Able to proceed to Hanmer. . The 1 patient ■also desired, this. ' At Culverden- the Colonel noticed a change, and assisted him to the.car, and saw him well Wrapped up. Lieutenant-Colonel Bernau gave the case his personal attention on arrival, and until death .supervened. In his re-. I port this officer states that if influenza had not intervened his. patient might have made a moderate recovery. In his. opinion a coittplete 1 recovery could never have been hoped for owing to the serious involvement of lungs caused by gas arid the patient's cardiac weakness. The New Zealand public know only too well how quickly and easily influenza takes hold, and with what results.

6. The evidence does not support Mr. Clemens's statement that the orderly who accompanied his son was nursing influenza patients up till within two hours of taking charge Of the soldier. The ser-geant-orderly states that he had not nursed any influenza patients for fourteen days prior to taking charge of the deceased. As a matter of fact, Ihe orderly himself contracted influenza on the journey. „ . *- ■' 7. It seems clear that if the late Private Ctemens had not unfortunately contracted influenza he would have been alive today. As is well known* some of the strongest men in New Zealand have succumbed to this malady, arid the late soldier, owing to his disability* possessed' little power of resistance. 8. Returned soldiers are all treated alike, though officers have separate wards. This is a world-wide custom. '