MILITARY SERVICE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 959, 8 March 1917, Page 9

MILITARY SERVICE.

MEDICAL STUDENTS' POSITION.

REPLY TO HON. G. W. BTJSSELL. Press Association. DUNEDIN, March 7. At the opening of the Medical School to-day, Dr Ferguson, Dean of the Medical Faculty, replied to statements made by the Hon. G. W. Russell iu reference to medical students and enlistment. After stating the matter was purely a military one, aDd had nothing to do with the Public Health Department, Dr Ferguson said the students refrained from enlisting on Surgeon-General Henderson advising them to stick to their studies. Some 24 students were brought back from the war last year. The Government was instrumental in securing the release of Dr Drennan from the Imperial authorities to come out and teach the third-year class, • in which were seven men, who had been brought half round the world by the Government for tuition. He thought thev were justified in inferring, till a month

ago, that the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Minister of Munitions, Direc-j tor-General of Medical Services, the] Commandant, and the Imperial authori- ■ ties, were agreed on the necessity for' keeping the school going. The Officers'! Training Corps must automatically' cease if Mr Russell's views were given! effect to. He contradicted the insimia- j tion that students sheltered behind the! school to avoid military service. The school was the only source of supply for house surgeons for hospitals, and " last September it sent 12 or 14 fifth-year I students as acting-house surgeons to re-1 place qualified men. A similar Arrangement could be made this year, but if the present third-year class was sent 1 into the firing-line, the expedient could' not be. adopted at the end of next year, '■ and in February, 1920, the graduation class would comprise merely a few girls and such men as had been declared; medically unfit. If they had 30 graduates they could all be placed in civil life. Of 17 graduates, four were drawn in the ballot and five volunteered, leaving eight to fill 20 vacancies for house surgeons. If the war-continued till! 1920, the supply of young men that the! military service had been getting would j cease absolutely. The Chancellor, the Rev. Mr

j Cameron, suggested that student* ! should not enlist till the University [ Council received an answer from the Health Department to a request for a conference with Dr Valintine and Gen- | eral Henderson.