RED CROSS SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 7

RED CROSS SOCIETY.

A WORLD ORGANISATION. ADDRESS BY GENERAL CHAMPAIN. Brigadier-general Champain, who, with his wife and two daughters, is on a short visit to Dunedin, delivered an address in the Returned Soldiers’ Association rooms last week on the activities of the Red Cross Society. The Rev. V. G. B. King occupied the chair, and he was supported by the Mayor (Mr \\ . B. Taverner). Amongst the large number present were Sir James Allen and Bishop Richards. Ihe Chairman said that before commencing the business for which they had gathered, he would like to place on record their sympathy at the passing away of Mr Mark Cohen, M.L.C. Mr Cohen" had always been a loyal, truo and generous friend to every organisation working for the alleviation of distress and suffering in their city. A motion of sympathy was then passed in silence with the relatives of Mr Cohen, those present standing. The Mayor said it was very pleasing to know that Genera! Champain, who had a distinguished war record, had now taken up such a noble work in connection with Rod Cross work. Dunedin owed a very great debt to the Red Cross organisation, and he took the opportunity of thanking the society for what it bad done and was doing in their midst. On behalf of the city the Mayor, then extended a hearty welcome to rhe general.

Mr King, on behalf of the Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, also weL.med General Champain to Dunedin. The general was, he said, the representative of the British Red Cross Society and the accredited agent of the League of Red Cross Societies.

General Champain said he thought it was a very happy thing that the meeting should have been held in the hall of a building dedicated to the soldiers wbo had fallen during the war, and with whom be had ’ the privilege of serving for a short time at the front. He had been asked to come and visit them, not for the purpose of laying down the law, but to consult with their Red Cross workers and to exchange views. He was secretary general of the British Red Cross Society and a member of the league, and he proposed to give them some idea of the working of these bodies*.. His visit to Dunedin was necessarily short, and from what he had seen of it he regretted that his* stay could not be very much longer. The question which might naturally be asked was why the Re<’ Cross Society was functioning now that tne war was over, and he would endeavour to answer it. The speaker went on to refer t‘> the Convention of Geneva, when the Red Cross emblem was accepted as an international emblem. Hie society’s first and foremost object was the alleviation of suffering caused by war. and it was gratifying to know that in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand the general objects of the society had not been lost sight of. No. doubt the work must be lessening now the war was over. There had been only a limited number of societies functioning before the war. but a arge number of voluntary workers bad come A forward during the war. In England they had a wonderful organisation—the Order of St. John, and this had joined up during the war with the Red Cross Society in war work. Ihe two bodies in peace time were not working together, but their objects were very similar. Alter the war. the Big Five was headed by America, which had several million works and several billions of money. A conference had been held in Cannes by the" American, British, French, Italian and Japanese representatives to consider the future operations of the society. The conclusion had been arrived at that even after the aftermath of war there was work amongst the civil population for the society to do. The League of Nations had been approached and a covenant had been agreed to to encourage an international organisation to mitigate suffer ing throughout the world. Each nation carried out such work as seemed most needful, and one nation helped another in an amazing maimer. That was bow the League of Red Cross Societies had been formed. The league had 54 national societies as signatories, including all the belligerent nations. An American was the president and a German the vice-president. The league would be instrumental, he hoped, in working towards the peace of the world. In Wellington and in Dunedin he was pleased to discover that ths-work was appreciated by the govcrnmts.tal , and civic authorities. ' ; " ’ Dealing with the work in other countries, tho speaker said that tho countries which had benefited most were not the countries

like their own. Many of the States in Europe which had suffered severely during tho war had received the greatest advantage of the assistance of the league. in 1922 he had gone to Amsterdam, when the refugees in hundreds of thousands were going from Anatolia to Greece and vice versa. Disease was rampant. In Athens an American society had started work and tho British sent out six doctors and a number of nurses, and other countries had also helped. In Bulgaria similar work had also been done. This was tn accordance with the spirit of the Red Cross. In England they had various activities largely as the result of their war organisations. They had now throughout England SLiO free ambulances, many of these received from the War Office after the war. They were now free for anybody who could not pay for them. That, was one of the ; r most popular works in England, and they were becoming almost self-supporting. They were also of the greatest value in ministering to the children in connection with the orthopedic homes. In America, Holland, Belgium. and Japan the Governments looked after sufferers up to a point, but they had handed over the entire relief work occasioned by recent disasters to the red cross societies.

At tho close of the war there were many trained workers all over the world. Ihe British Government had said that it intended to make training more permanent, and as a reserve to the medical forces. There was now a certain standard of training, and the Government could take over tlie trainees if the necessity ever arose. These trainees were merely loy<ai citizens carrying out the request of their Government to meet any emergency, no matter of what kind. He could not help feeling, seeing that their primary object was to render first aid. that they should have a personnel ready to act. It was not enough that thev should give gifts, etc. The speaker referred to the junior red 'cross workers. This body had originated in Canada, and in England it did not 'll any way clash with the activities of the other junior bodies, such as the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. It. was doing excellent work in many directions, such as the laws of health, correspondence! with children of other nations and so on. The speaker concluded bv stating that their society in England did" not attempt to overlap the work of other organisations, but that it aid try to associate itself with them foi the general welfare. —(Applause.) Sir James Allen, who was called on bv the ehairman to make a few remarks, said that early in the war they had no Red Cross i Society in New Zealand It was not long, however, before, they realised the necessity of such an organisation. The New Zealand Red Cross had become organised, and it had developed in an • extraordinary manner, not only at the front, but in New Zealand itself In every place where help was needed Rea Cross workers had been present. In peace time it was also very necessary to have the society The Montecillo Home was run by the Red Cross Society, and there would be always -a need for this work to be carried on;, Their experience of the last war made it necessary that such a society should be kept in existence —(Applause.) On the call of the chairman, three hearty cheers were given to General Champain for his address.