Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

WOMEN'S FORUM.-Continued from Pag« 4.
EXPERIENCES WHILE NURSING
IN SPAIN ,
HIGH MORALE
OF PEOPLE
Sister Agnes Hodgson, who is
holidaying with friends at North
down, relates interesting experi
ences of 10i months spent in
Spain BB a member of the Bed
Cross nursing staff. Several other
nurses from Australia and Now
Zealand were on tho staff, two. Sis
ters LOWBOU and Low, being Tas
manians.
Sister Hodgson carno away last
November Badly in nood of recup
eration, and will report to tho
Spanish Aid Committco in Sydney.
Sister Hodgson said yesterday sho
might return to Spain. It was not
I work which one would choose, but the
feeling was that it was worth while-.
doing something for a peoplo who had
boon much sinned against, and whoso
liborty was being attacked by legions
from Italy and Germany, sent to for
ward tho aims of autocracy.
Tho Spanish peoplo had great faith
in Franco and England, but when she
realised how little hud been dono to
enable tho lawful Government to con
trol its own country sho felt ashamed.
SiBtor Hodgson said sho would like
to corroct ono impression that might
be gained from a Melbourne report of
hor views which appeared in "Tho
Advocato" yesterday, to tho effect
that tho Spaniards were getting tired
of tho war; thac their attitude was ono
of "intenso weariness of tho war and
its hardships. ' ' That was far from
being the caso. Tho moralo of tho
peoplo was inspiring, and tho prospect
of defeat was something they would
not entertain for a moment. War
brought out tho best as well as tho
worst in human nature, "id sho had a
great admiration for tho Spanish peo
ple; tho nurses had mot with kindness
ovcrywhore. in addition to tho few
Australian nurses thoro were over 100
from England.
Contrast in Treatment.
Speaking of tho conditions in robol
Spain, sho said sho had no personal
knowledge, but many expressions from
prisoners who wore wounded wero il
luminating. Tho enomy prisoners were
surprised ut tho treatment they receiv
ed, and said that conditions were far
worse on tho other side. Many barbar
ities wero recorded, including tho kill
ing of wounded. Some of them seem
ed to bo glad to bo away from their
old associations, an opinion which was
supported by rofugoos. At the outset
the hospitals wore well provided, but
later thoro wero various shortages. At
times air raids took place, and it did
not appear that the Red Cross was any
protection. Ono hospital was destroy
ed whilo she was in Spain, and others
had suffored similarly.
Learning tho Language.
Sistor Hodgson, who is from Mel
bourne, stated that she took a lan
guage book with her when sho left for
tho work in Spain, and she found that
a study of this was of immense assist
ance in getting a grip of tho tongue,
so that ufter a few months sho could
converse with Spaniards quito freely.
She had also learned Italian, and found
it moro agreeable to speak than Span
ish, which was moro guttural
She learned much of tho Spanish
viewpoint. When sho went there she
was shocked at tho burning of church
es, but that tho Spanish temperament
was different from ours. Whero the
victims of injustico in other lands
would bo content with destroying civil
ian property tho Spanish way was to
attack churches. It did not mean
that they wero against religion but
against corruption, which had becomo
so notorious in tho Spanish church. In
addition tho church leaders were in
leaguo with tho enemies of the peoplo,
and they thought that the right course
was to root out their enemies. How
ever, in Aragon, where sho was sta
tioned, churches wero boing opened
again.
War Prospects.
Sister Hodgson expressed concern at
tho rebol victory nt Teruel, ns it might
open tho way to tho opponents of the
Govornment to divido constitutionally
controlled Spain into two sectors. For
months much had been heard of tho
pending drive by General Franco, and
the Government forces had decided to
anticipate it and strike first, and so
gain a surprise victory. That seemed
to work well at tho outset, and tho
Govornment forces had won most of
their campaigns by surprise attacks.
That accounted for tho push in the
middle of winter, when conditions were
vory severe in northern Spain.
The opinion was exprcrr >d that with
out tho great assistanco rendered by
Germany and Italy-especially Italy
the rebellion would havo boon crushed
long ago. If tho Government failed
tho credit would bo duo to tho outside
Fascist nations.
Sister Hodgson expressed a high
opinion of tho efficiency of tho Span
ish in tho conduct of tho war. It did
not appear to her that tha peoplo were
backward or inert, but rather able to
meet any situation with which they
were fnced.
Agricultural methods wore much be
hind those of other countries, but tho
Republican regime was doing much to
modernise farm work and enable ma
chinery to carry out what man power
had done previously. Sho received a
shock on one occasion on seeing a M'
Kay harvester. "It made mo wonder
for a moment where I was," she said.
It was one of tho importations made
to modernise Spanish agricultural
work.
$