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Page:George Lansbury - What I saw in Russia.pdf/179

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PUBLIC HEALTH
153


that they have now devised means by which this weapon is now quite ineffective.

In a thousand and one ways, health services are being set up, but the one cry from everybody—specialists, doctors and nurses—was : “ Throw down the blockade ; let us have the means for alleviating suffering ; let us have the means for preventing disease. It is impossible to establish effective public health administration unless we have these means we can only get them from outside.” Again and again protests were uttered against the infamy of the Allies, and especially against the International Red Cross, for its failure to send into Russia the means for dealing with the wounded and those stricken with disease. It was pointed out that the Denikin and Koltchack armies were always well supplied ; that again and again the Bolsheviks had occupied a village or a town only to find all the medical stores burnt up, and I was asked: “ By what sort of right did the International Red Cross, that gathers money from all sorts and conditions of people, defend the policy of assisting one side only in a great struggle like that through which Russia was passing ? ” It was also stated that in many places doctors were not allowed to remain to treat either the wounded or those suffering from disease, but that often they were carried