TRAGEDY OF BELGIUM.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1920, Page 5

TRAGEDY OF BELGIUM.

GLIMPSES OF THE RETREAT. REPAIRING THE DEVASTATION. A graphic account of the conditions in Belgium during the war, and the plight of a devastated country, was given by Mrs. fi. Knowles (nee Miss Dormer Maunder) in a lecture delivered at the Workers' Hall, New Plymouth, last night. The speaker was well (nullified to handle the subject, having been the pioneer of British women in Belgium, and having eptensive experience in the hospitals during the war. She is the holder of the Belgian decoration de L'ordre de Leopold, two British and one French honor, and can vouch for her statements by a first hand knowledge of the situation. Mrs. Knowles is a New Zealander, and at the outbreak of war was resident in England. She crossed over to Ostend on September 11, 1014, and found that there was plenty of work to do in trying to get the refugees into shelter. 011 October 3, however, she was approached by the Belgian authorities, and asked to take | over a hotel as a hospital for officers. This was carried out and Mrs. Knowles also took over the kursal for the men. From October 3rd to 13th work was carried out night and day under very great ; difficulties, there being no anaesthetics and a great shortage of supplies. Provisions were depleted owing to the thousands of refugees who were flocking into the town. There were many operations to he carried out, such as amputations without anaesthetics, and Mrs Knowles speaks in the highest terms of the brave front displayed by the patients. Not one of the Belgian soldiers showed the slightest fear, nor was there any complaint from them, and her admiration for them then, and now, was very great. For fifteen days Mrs. Knowles worked almost continuously, never having her clothes off or the comfort of a bed. The rest of her staff, she says, worked equally hard, but many were not able to keep it up. After the evacuation of Ostend on ■ October 13 she retreated with the Belgian Army .to. J)upkirk,, having been asked by the Belgian military authorities not to go away or to give up the work. She was the last British woman to get' out of Ostend, and the first woman to re-entdr when it was rfgain in ".the hands of the Allies on October 18, ;J9lB. The conditions on this second occasion were appalling; the people in the streets,' were literally walking skeletons. The faith of the Belgians in the British, however, had been absolute. Although the Germans had always told them of their victories and the Allied losses, they never deceived the Belgians in their belief that the British would come. At the base Mrs. Knowles had founded several hospitals, the first, one being the Rouen Albert Premiere. Two annexes were later put on. making provision for 1000 beds. She proceeded to headquarters with the InspectorGeneral, and he asked that she should remain and carry out organising work. This Mrs. Knowles did, the period of her work being from June 1, 1915 up till the armistice. She was appointed organising directress. Many interesting photographs were screened showing various scenes in Belgium, and the havoc wrought by the invasion. ?Tames such as Newport, the Yser, Ypres, Polecapelle, and Messines, known to many of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and made familiar to those at home by the cabled news, were recalled by the lecturer.

The indomitable spirit of tlie Belgians was testified to by Mrs. Rnowles and she remarked that the Yser position was indicative ot the realities of the fight. On the left was the line held by the Belgians, sheltered in their small dug-outs, and opposite were the Germans securely entrenched in cement lined dug-outs and strong 'defences. 'i\> look on these, wonder and amazement were moused as to how the enemy were ever driven out. Of particular interest to the audience were the scenes of Messinos, and the lecturer told of how the New Zealanders had won fame in crossing the ridge. The remains of a church at Neuve Eglise, was associated with poignant memories, for just nearby are the graves of about twenty New Zealanders.

After the war Mrs. Knowle.s turned her attention to helping the people in the devastated areas, and concentrated on the erection of recreation clubs for the inhabitants. One is already working at Kemmel. Speaking of the work in the clubs, which are being instituted for the benefit of the inhabitants, Mrs. Knowles stated that at one town the burgomaster and another citizen asked her that some English literature be included in the reading matter provided for the club. Many of the people had been to England during the war and had learned the language and evidently desired to keep up their association with it. English illustrated papers are sent to the club and also a New Zealand farming journal is despatched regularly. A realistic description of the difficulties which the returning Belgians encounter was given by Mrs. Knowlcs. She pointed out that in a' land absolutely devastated the population were returning and working whole-heartedly, not eight hours a day, hut sixteen. Dissensions, strikes, and unrest were not found in Belgium. The people were working from daylight till dark in their reconstruction work. Similarly it behoved all to stand shoulder to shoulder for the good of the general community and not only for the individual. At the Conclusion of the lecture, on the motion of the Rev. F. G. Harvie, the lecturer was accorded a very cordial vote of thanks.