DENTISTS FOR THE FRONT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6794, 14 May 1900, Page 4

DENTISTS FOR THE FRONT.

DENTISTS FOR THE FRONT. White on a visit to my dentist a couple tof days ago, I took the opportunity of asking him hrow many dentists there axe with, the troops in South Africa. He tells me tha*K there is one, taken out by the City Imjperial Volunteers at their own expense. The authorities of the leading dentistry maga<zine wrote to the War Office stating that a number of capable young dentists would volunteer to go ont to South Africa if the Government would find the necessary material. The War Office sent its stereotyped reply that it did not contemplate any such aTTangement. The result is that both officers and men suffer almost incredibly with their teeth, being often incapacitated for service. Numerous wounds, too, are sustained *on the jaw, which require dental treatment and which cause the sufferers great agony. One surgeon, indeed, has declared that he would never go out in a campaign again unaccompanied by a thoroughly qualified dental assistant. Those responsible for the organisation of the colonial forces should consider the question of providing their troops with dentists as well as doctors. RED TAPE. The force of Red Tape can surely go no further than in the case of Private Hammond, which ha** been brought to light by a London journal. Private Hammond belongs —or he belonged —to E Company of the Ist Scots Guards. He was among the first of his battalion to proceed to the front, and during LordlMetlmen's operations on the Modder River he received a wound whioh necessitated his removal to the base hospital at Capet-own. Therce he was sent Home, and after a short stay at Netley was discharged as cured and sent on to Wellington Barracks, where the 3rd Battalion of his regiment is in residence. But then his troubles bagan. No member of the Ist Battalion is in London, and when Private Hammond inquired where he was to find food and lodging he was sent from ser-geant-major to sergeant-major without any satisfactory result.

" They told me," he .said, " I might find a bed when somebody was on guard. As to messing, I have no company in London, and can go to none. If 1 had not obtained leave and gone to some friends in towni I should have been in difficulties as to both "bed and food."

This is hardly the treatment which should be meted out to one who has been wounded in his country's services. Hammond was discharged from Netley on March 20, and ihe cannot even obtain "his pay, for no company in London has his nama upon its rolls. He is simply a military derelict whom nobody owns, but he is still a soldier of the Queen now apparently in the best of health. The military authorities ought surely to be able to decide the future status of a man who deserves well of his country, even although he may be the only representative of his battalion in the barracks that refuses to provide for iim.

Another case of official neglect on allfours with that of Private Hammond, is that of Private Pell, who was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and served seven years in India. Coming Home about nine months ago, he started in a small business, but was called upon with, the reserves for service in South Africa. He was -wounded a* Modder River and invalided home. As soon as convalescent, Pell was sent from Netley to his depot— Stirling Castle. The authorities therej however, de° ( clared they did not know him, and therefore could not give him any pay that might be due to him. From the time of joining until six weeks ago, the only pay Pell re" ceived was 2s. After hanging übout the barracks for some time, he succeeded in borrowing. £4, and came home to London on furlough for two months. The only article of clothing belonging to his regiment he had on when he came Home was a forage cap, the rest of his attire being made up from different regiments, and included a pair of boots too large for him. This case and that of Hammond are not isolated instances of official neglect of wounded men from the front, bub these two cases are sufficient to show that "the absent-minded beggar 13 not confined to the ranks. Whilst on the subject of red tape, I may mention that last week, in answer to a question why Lord Methuen had been so long in sending in a report of the battle of Magersfontein, MrWyndham, Under-Secre-tary of War, said that his first report had .^ been returned to him, and gave as one of the lea-ons for this that the paragraphs had nob been numbered. The gentleman who ordered the report to be returned, and put forward tlris as one of the grounds, certainly deserves a prominent niche m the temple pf red tape. DEATH OP JOUBERT.