The Telegraph Book of Readers' Letters from the Great War (33 page)
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Authors: Gavin Fuller
6 January 1916
Medical Students
SIR â It has been brought to our notice that local tribunals are to inquire into the reasons why certain individuals have not joined His Majesty's Forces. We would like to point out the difficulties with which we, as medical students, have had to contend. In October, 1915, the beginning of the university year, we were all informed by the Cambridge medical authorities that it was our sole duty to continue our medical studies. In addition, a letter from Lord Kitchener remained posted up in the medical schools authorising those instructions, and urging medical students already having taken combatant commissions to return to their studies, and that they would be discharged on application. Then came a
week of crisis. Lord Derby, in his urgent need for men, pointed out that the duty of junior medical students was to take combatant commissions. While on the one hand Lord Derby claimed us, on the other, the majority of medical authorities, amongst whom were Professor Clifford Allbutt, Sir Frederick Treves and Dr Shipley, pointed out the shortsightedness of this policy. After listening to these various contradictory statements, our duty was not very apparent. The difficulty has not yet been cleared up, as can be seen from the following example. A medical student, in the same plight as ourselves, only yesterday applied for enlightenment on this subject from an officer of high rank in His Majesty's Forces, and was told to âsit tight'. What are we to do?
We are trying to make ourselves useful by working as dressers at the 1st Eastern General Hospital, and we wear the Royal Army Medical Corps' collar badges, but we are not officially recognised by the War Office. We are doing Government work which is not officially recognised by the Government. We are unable to continue work as dressers during term time as our superior officers refuse to accept us on the grounds that our medical studies are of more vital importance to the country. However, we carry on ambulance work in the Cambridge University Officers Training Corps (Medical Unit).
Are we justified in âsitting tight', and what answer shall we make to the local tribunals?
Yours faithfully,
Three Medical Students
Queens' College, Cambridge
7 January 1916
Cartage Contractors' Difficulty
SIR â May I, as president of the London Master Carmen's Association, appeal to you to allow me space in your paper to ventilate what is a great injustice to owners of horse-drawn vehicles, namely, the strict enforcement of the new order issued on 30 September last compelling owners to place a red rear light on every vehicle. We all agree that the order is a necessary one in the present abnormally darkened streets, and immediately it was issued the trade ordered approximately 15,000 lamps for London alone, but, owing largely to lamp manufacturers being engaged on munition work, it was found impossible to obtain even a quarter of the number required.
Transport must be done, and to carry out the law, if lamps cannot be obtained, conveyances must not be worked after dark, or, alternatively, the owners of vehicles are to be summoned for non-compliance. It is obvious that no blame can be attached to the owner of the vehicle if it is impossible for him to obtain the lamp, and, whilst some magistrates are imposing a light fine, owners in most cases having to pay the costs, there are occasions when heavy fines are imposed.
I therefore feel that if the Home Office desires the order to be strictly carried out, it should under the circumstances see that the vehicle owners are able to obtain the wherewithal to do so, and I venture to suggest that if those summonses
continue it may be necessary for the owners of vehicles to withdraw their conveyances from the streets at dusk, to the serious disadvantage of those relying on the transport trade.
I am, Sir, yours truly,
(Signed) G.A. Dutfield
17 Water Lane, Great Tower Street, E.C.
19 January 1916
SIR â An organisation has been formed with the title of âThe Fighting Forces Book Council'. It is important to know that while this has the approval of the War Office, Colonial Office and Board of Education, and of the High Commissioners of the Dominions beyond the Seas, this organisation is intended to supplement, and not in any way to overlap, the existing organisations such as the Camps Library, which is the recognised collecting and distributing depot for the books sent through the medium of the General Post Office, the Red Cross and St John Ambulance War Library, which supplies the hospitals and the Young Men's Christian Association. Through the machinery of these various organisations, large quantities of books are being regularly supplied to the Forces on active service, naval and military hospitals, and convalescent camps, both at home and abroad. The work done by these organisations is, however (mainly, if not
entirely), that of distributing agents for the books generously supplied by the public, and sent by them through the Post Office or otherwise. These books are naturally of a miscellaneous kind, and consist preponderantly of light fiction, and the enormous numbers of books issued to the troops (about a hundred thousand weekly) make any systematic selection or classification impossible.
It has, however, been found that books of a more solid kind are largely asked for by an immense number of educated men now in the military service of the Empire, who find themselves cut off from the studies in which they were engaged, and which they are still anxious to pursue.
The objectives of âThe Fighting Forces Book Council' will therefore be to try to meet this need and at the same time to assist the existing organisations in every possible way. It proposes to:
1. Raise funds for providing reading matter of the kind indicated above for His Majesty's Forces at home and abroad, including the wounded and convalescent and the British prisoners of war.
2. Procure, by purchase or gift, boosts of this kind in sufficient quantities, and arrange for their distribution through the Camps Library to the various organisations and corps.
3. Draw up lists of such books required by, or suitable for, various types of men.
The Fighting Forces Book Council is pursuing these objects, not only in concert with the above-named organisations, but
also with the support of the Incorporated Society of Authors, the Library Association, the Publishers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland, the National Home Reading Union and other like bodies. The council consists of representatives of almost every branch of letters and every side of public life.
An appeal is now therefore made for funds to carry on its work, and we feel sure that we need add nothing to commend such an appeal to the public.
Contributions forwarded to us or to the London County and Westminster Bank, Law Courts Branch, W.C., will be duly acknowledged.
We are, Sir, your obedient servants,
E.W. Ward, Chairman, Executive Council
I. Gollancz, Hon. Treasurer
Hon. Secretary
Alfred Perceval Graves, Hon. Literary Director
Seymour House, 17 Waterloo Place, S.W.
5 February 1916
SIR â With reference to your publication of the official notice regarding the censorship of letters and the apparent dearth of qualified linguists, permit me to state my experience. In
response to my application I was invited to call for an official interview, and was given letters in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, all of which I translated orally to the satisfaction of the examiner; but when I was informed that the salary would be only 30sâ35s weekly I said I could not entertain the offer, as it would not be possible to live decently on such remuneration. I add that I was at an English public school, that I subsequently spent nearly three years in France, and that I have had a long commercial experience.
I am, yours faithfully,
X
9 February 1916
A Scheme Worthy of Help
SIR â In your issues of yesterday and of today's date there have appeared two articles on âWomen as Welders' and âHow Posts are Found' respectively. The intelligent appreciation shown in these articles of a work as useful and fascinating as its inception has been unobtrusive, is bound to attract widespread attention. May we therefore beg of you still one more valuable service? We want through your columns to ask for public help, as well as interest, in order to extend our possibilities of usefulness in these directions.
Every woman selected for her fitness and trained to expert usefulness is, in our opinion, worth a soldier at the front: she only can liberate the âstarred' man, and therefore selection and training are our watchwords. Success of the sort which alone justifies our appeal has been so far ours all along the line; namely, the highly satisfactory quality of the work which our students turn out, and the fact that aircraft and munition factories swallow them up as fast as we can supply them. Incidental expenses must be met, and we want scholarships to help the women, the most suitable of whom cannot themselves bear the expenses of training and maintenance meanwhile. Will the more serious minded of your readers come forward and help us? We are aware that such work makes but little appeal through glamour or sentiment, and it has been organised by a Suffrage society!
May we, in this latter connection, point out that in pre-war times, in those far-off âhappy days when we were so miserable', we formed and perfected an organisation on strictly constitutional lines in order to get the vote for ourselves, but in the face of the national need it was our pride and privilege to turn over that organisation whole-heartedly and unreservedly to the national service. We believe it was no mean gift. Our women's hospitals in France and Serbia, our Belgian brothers and sisters here, can answer for us. Will you help us to carry on now this invaluable work for our sisters at home?
The Hon. Mrs Spencer Graves will receive very gratefully donations addressed to her at 59 Victoria Street, and further
inquiries at the same address will be welcomed by the Women's Service Bureau.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed)
Frances Balfour (President)
Annie Cowdray
B.M. Graves (Hon. Treasurer)
Gertrude Kinnell
Edith Lyttleton
Women's Service Bureau, 58 Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.
