The Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt

I do not think that any other funds or societies should be permitted to interfere with military arrangements; all those who desire to help with money, with goods, or with personal assistance could do so through the one channel or the other.

As a corollary to the foregoing it is evident that there should be only one voluntary war fund, which should be placed under the control of a committee representing the Y.M.C.A., the Red Cross, and nominees of the Government and public, who could allocate the money subscribed to the Y.M.C.A. or Red Cross as necessity arose. The following list shows the unnecessary multiplicity of organisations and funds in the State of Victoria alone, viz. at least seventeen societies in a community of about one million and a half people. Even in Egypt enthusiastic people started an "Australian Comforts Fund," a "Soldiers' Outings Association," "Camp Welfare Association," and so forth, and these bodies simply did for varying periods the work of the Y.M.C.A. or the Red Cross as the case may be, in a more or less patchy way.

MULTIPLICITY OF FUNDS

(From "The Argus," Melbourne, 1916)

"WAR RELIEF FUNDS

"Objects Outlined: A Guide to Giving

"It is only when one sees the complete list of war relief funds compiled by the State War Council, in connection with its announcement regarding the supervision to be exercised over future collections, that the full extent of the relief organisations and the wide scope covered by the Victorian public's generous giving are appreciated. There are in existence here a score of war funds of one kind or another, and by the devoted efforts of their organisers and the warm-hearted support of the public the lot of our soldiers has been brightened, the burden of pain and suffering borne by the sick and wounded has been eased, a helping hand has been extended to the homeless, broken sufferers of Belgium, Poland, and Serbia, and a gleam of happiness brought to many a home in France whose erstwhile bread-winner is on active service.

"All the Victorian organisations have clearly defined objects, and are working along sound lines. The list of funds is to be increased shortly by the creation of a Repatriation Fund the details of which are now being worked out. The money raised will be devoted to the settling in suitable employment of soldiers who have fulfilled their service. A similar object is aimed at in the repatriation scheme which has been launched with such marked success by Mr. Rodgers, M.H.R. The objects of the other funds, which have been and are doing so much, are thus summarised for the information of the public by officials of the organisations:

"British Red Cross Society

"(Australian Branch)

"Objects officially stated as – 'Red Cross work, to assist all hospitals in time of war.'

"Victorian Red Cross Fund

"For Australian sick and wounded soldiers (Lady Stanley Appeal). The proceeds are being and will be remitted to the Australian Red Cross Society, to be used by it for the benefit of Australian sick and wounded soldiers and institutions in which they may be treated.

"Red Cross Society

"(Victorian Division)

"Objects officially stated to be 'those of the Geneva Convention.'

"French Red Cross Society

"The raising of funds for the work of the French Red Cross Society.

"Australian Patriotic Fund

"For the benefit of Victorian soldiers and their dependents, soldiers from any part of Australia and their dependents, other deserving objects consequent on service at the war, and the augmenting of pensions granted by the Commonwealth.

"State War Council's Fund

"For discharged soldiers. Its object is to assist in re-establishing discharged soldiers in employment.

"Commonwealth Button Fund

"A collecting body, which has used its organisation for collecting for various funds. It has collected for the Belgian Fund, Red Cross Society, Lady Stanley's Appeal, French Red Cross, Serbian Fund, Italian Fund, Russian Polish Fund, and for institutions at the front and in camps belonging to the different churches and the Y.M.C.A.

"Lady Mayoress's Patriotic League

"To assist in providing comforts, extra clothing, and foods for the fighting men in the navy and army.

"Belgian Relief Fund

"To assist in relieving distress in Belgium.

"Serbian Relief Fund

"To assist in relieving distress amongst the Serbians.

"Polish Relief Fund

"To assist in relieving distress amongst the Russian Poles.

"French Société Maternelle Fund

"To collect funds for the Société d'Assistance Maternelle et Infantile. The fund is administered in France, money and goods being collected here and sent forward.

"Y.M.C.A. National Appeal

"For the benefit of soldiers in camps, on troopships, and abroad, by providing recreation, games, stationery, literature, and comforts, and ministering generally to the moral and spiritual welfare of the Australian troops.

"Commonwealth Service Patriotic Fund

"Objects determined, as necessity arises, by a committee consisting of heads of departments and branches. Allocations to different funds.

"State Service Patriotic Fund

"Relief of distress resulting from the war.

"Education Department Patriotic Fund

"Relief of distress caused by the war, and for providing clothing and comforts for our troops.

"Railways Department Patriotic Fund

"Relief of distress in Belgium, relief of distress due to unemployment in Victoria, and Red Cross purposes in the proportion as nearly as practicable of one-third to each."

An additional advantage of the arrangements proposed would be that all those who assist would be under a measure of discipline. Neither men nor women helpers should be permitted to enter the war zone unless they visit it with a serious purpose and an earnest desire to help. If they enter in this frame of mind they will have no objection to submitting to discipline. If they object it is far better for them to stay at home.

It is furthermore apparent that Red Cross workers should be limited to elderly men of experience or younger men who are physically defective. In the case of the Y.M.C.A. young and healthy men are required, since their work is very arduous, the living at times rough to a degree, and there is not inconsiderable personal risk undertaken by those who are placed in advanced positions. In national wars every healthy adult is of great value as a soldier, and it is necessary to see that as few of such men as possible are utilised in these auxiliary services.

If the arrangements here indicated had been carried into effect, the work in Egypt would have been much better done and the activities of the Y.M.C.A. would have prevented a vast amount of trouble and disease. As it was, the value of the Y.M.C.A. was not apparent to the public at first, since its activities are not so dramatic as those of the Red Cross Society, and funds have never been provided for it on anything like the same scale.

In conclusion, with regard to the Australian Branch British Red Cross, there is something more to be said. As its name implies, the Australian Red Cross is a branch of the British Red Cross Society, and yet we have experienced in Egypt the spectacle of the Egyptian Branch and the Australian Branch of the same society doing the same work for different sections of troops engaged in a common cause. There were two Red Cross stores in Cairo, Australian and British, two stores in Alexandria, and two in Mudros. Would it not have been much better to amalgamate the two branches and administer the Red Cross in Egypt as a whole? The separation served no good material purpose, and whilst by the exercise of good sense some of the difficulties arising from the dual arrangement were obviated, yet this evidence of particularism was not advantageous.

Vast quantities of goods were donated to the Australian Troops by the Comforts Fund, and vast quantities of goods were given to soldiers in hospitals and convalescent homes by the Australian Branch British Red Cross. As evidence of soundness of heart on the part of the Australian public this action was beyond praise, but it is doubtful whether the methods were the best which might be devised. The generosity of the public lent itself to some abuse, and soldiers are known to have sold these goods to Arabs, and employed the cash as they pleased. It is difficult to draw a healthy mean between strict administration with proper restriction and lavish administration and abuse. It is doubtful to me whether it would not better conserve the self-respect of the soldier and be more dignified if these donations were to cease. In their place proper facilities might well be substituted for the purchase of such articles as the soldier required at very low prices. This is the plan followed by the Y.M.C.A., who never divorce personal service from any distribution of goods. If the pay of the Australian soldier – which by the way is the highest in the world – is thought insufficient, it could be increased by voluntary help conveyed through the proper official channels. If this system were adopted it would necessitate the appointment of a Y.M.C.A. and of a Red Cross officer to certain defined military units, and a well-organised method would at once make its appearance; in other words, we should substitute sympathetic order and justice for amateurish enthusiasm.

Does not the necessity for the foregoing criticism indicate our utter unpreparedness? For if we had possessed a national organisation for Peace and War, each and all of these problems would have been solved long ago, and we should have been spared the spectacle of willing helpers wasting their energy for lack of direction.