CONCUSSION AND BLINDNESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 30

CONCUSSION AND BLINDNESS.

AUCKLAND, June 1. Mrs M. Court, Epsom, has received the following' telegram from the private secretaiv of his Excellency the Earl of Liverpool:—‘‘His Excellency the Governor much regrets to have to inform you that to-day he rg'ceived a cablegram from the Secretary of- State for the Colonies reporting your -on, Rifleman R. H. Court, of the 4th Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifles, is suffering from concussion and blindness.” Kiucirmn (Jour* h'lt with the Fiji contingent, and was educated at the Mount Ecien School, going to the island two years ago. POSITION IN ENGLAND. A SORROWFUL STORY. (From Orn Own Correspondent., WELLINGTON, _ May 17. The head of a London business house, writing to a friend in Wellington, throws a good deal of light on the situation in England. He says:—“lt is evident that the true inwardness of the situation is not grasped in New Zealand. One could hardly imagine from the communications Wt; receive that the Empire is engaged in war and that the issue is a life and death one, and there seems to bo an entire lack of appreciation of how profoundly :t is influencing our lives here. We here are in direct touch with death and with terrible suffering. I, with most othci-s, have suffered the loss of relatives and dear friends, and the lives of most of us have been profoundly changed. Not since the war opened have my wife and I been to a place of entertainment. The calls on us are urgent and insistent, and cannot bo denied. Most men have cut down their city luncheon to bare needs. One cannot go to the hospitals without being deeply moved. My wife and I are taking some interest in some of the men, carrying thither such cheer as our purse can afford. It would amaze you to witness the cheer, fullness of these soldiers in the face of mutilation, and to notice the manly modesty with which they sneak of what they have gone through I have seen men in the corridors with one log, hopping about on crutches, engaged in a game of football. Take an mstance. There lies in the Mi'itn.ry Hospital at Mdlbank young lad in whom w° have taken some interest. Wounded by shell fire, he was in Bavaria a prisoner, and has been exchanged. Ho is the only son of a widow, a weaver _ in Lancashire, who cannot come to son him. I know, but he docs not. that his leg has to come off although he suspects he may have to Use his foot. He is over cheerful and pleased that he has done his bit. constant m praise of his officers, and_ of the kindness that Ins been shown him. All the nurses are full of admiration of the behaviour of these poor maimed fellows. These tilings, if I mistake not, will have a profound influence on this and the next generation.”