FOURTH VISIT TO N.Z.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 17 April 1944, Page 4

FOURTH VISIT TO N.Z.

HIGH U.S. NAVAL OFFICER . Auckland, April 16 Paying his fourth visit to New Zealand, Rear-Admiral William R. Chambers. one of the senior officers of the United States Medical Corps, arrived at Auckland. Another medical officer who recently arrived at Auckland is Captain F. R. Hook, first medical officer to Admiral Halsey. In an interview, both officers said that New Zealand had a fine job in having hospitals erected for the American forces and the expansion of the first naval hospital erected in the Auckland area was particularly gratifying. Particular reference was made to the gesture of the New Zealand overnment in making available to the United States Navy, the hospital at Silverstream, Wellington, which had been built for New Zealand personnel. This hospital, Captain Hook announced, had been decommissioned and would be handed back to the Government. It was practically complete when it was made available to the United States Navy. Referring to improved Facilities for the care of men serving in the islands. Captain Hook said that in the hospi- | tals there, the percentage of vacant ; beds in the whole South Pacific Area i was now higher than ever. All Ameri- | can hospital activities in the inland now had ample supplies of penicillin, | In fact, they had more than could be | used ana some supplies had been handed over for the use of the New Zea- ! land military force., in the forward areas of the South Pacific and m the Dominion.—PA,