NO OVERSEAS SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24070, 15 September 1941, Page 8

NO OVERSEAS SERVICE

RED CROSS COMPLAINT SOCIETY'S WORK RESTRICTED A complaint that not one Voluntary Aid or Red Cross worker had been sent overseas from New Zealand in two years of war was made by Mr. A. A. Marker, secretary to the Auckland centre of the Red Cross Society, in a statement yesterday. Trained personnel had been offered to the Government and it seemed strange that so fairl nothing had been done. "This restriction upon the Red Cross is being felt deeply by the trained personnel, who have given so much of their time and energy to become efficient for service overseas." Mr. Harker added. They were also perturbed about the conditions under which they were compelled to work. The Government had agreed that in an emergency Voluntary Aids would be called for through the Health Department and hospital boards. It now appeared that the Women's War Service Auxiliary had to be consulted.

"The society was approached by the Women's War Service Auxiliary to register under that organisation, and after some correspondence and negotiations it was agreed that the auxiliary would not encroach in any way on the work being performed by the society. This request was agreed 'to. "This agreement has not been kept, however, and the result is that the Red Cross personnel is to some extent being squeezed out of services for which it was trained and for which it was previously utilised," Mr. Harker added. "This amounts to a further restriction on the activities of the society, activities which are the proper function of the Red Cross Society in all parts of the world."