CO129-592-2 Reports on current situation- medical work 3-3-1946 - 12-5-1947 — Page 124

1590.

2.

agreed to act as Treasurer and Accountant following the

repatriation of Mr. Hartog, and Miss E. Rawlings as Social worker

on the departure of Miss Dudley for America on a similar

repatriation ship. At the same time each residential block was

asked to appoint (not elect) a welfare officer to be responsible

for the distribution in an equitable manner of clothing and

equipment to the residents. The panel of doctors was made

responsible for the allocations of foodstuffs.

It is perhaps important at this point to emphasize the

international character of the Welfare Committee.

Whatever

the source of such supplies as were received, each community was

treated equally, according to the need of its individuals. It is

also necessary to stress that the Committee at all times maintained

a position, common to all humanitarian organisations of its

kind, which was outside the range of Camp politics.

On the advice of Dr. P. S. Selwyn-Clarke (Hon. Director of

Medical Services), a small quantity of money and clothing had been

collected and brought into the camp for immediate distribution.

Secondly, as soon as the Camp Canteen was established, arrange-

ments were made for a very small profit to be added to the

selling price of each article, this profit being handed over to

the International Welfare Committee in the form of valuable

foodstuffs for distribution on the advice of the medical panel.

By far the largest part of the supplies received during the

first year of internment, however, were sent in by Dr. Selwyn-

Clarke, who was allowed to remain in the town for relief and

humanitarian work for seventeen months until his imprisonment

by the Japanese Authorities in May 1943. By organising the Informal Welfare Committee, Hong-Kong, and keeping in personal contact with the Stanley Camp, Dr. Selwyn-Clarke was able to

arrange for the supply of foodstuffs, clothing, toilet articles,

drugs and hospital supplies.

was

After his arrest, this personal contact was lost, and the

International Red Cross delegate took over the problem of supplies. The purchase of essential special diets, etc. became increasingly