The Red Cross Society of Japan has been strenuously performing its duty of caring for the sick and wounded ever since the war broke out regardless, as a matter of course, to which colors the sufferers belong only remembering the principles of Humanity and Brotherhood.
The first work we undertook on the outbreak of the war was to look after the Russian sailors, who had been wounded during the naval battle off Chemulpo, Korea.
The wounded sailors, who were on board the Russian cruiser, Varyag, numbering twenty-four persons were taken first to the French cruiser, Pascal, and then to a temporary hospital that had been hastily established at Chemulpo by our Society. For twenty-two days, those sailors were entirely under the care of the hospital, in which, of course, all necessary treatment was given to them. Unfortunately, however, two of the patients died and the rest when convalescent were brought to a hospital at Matsuyama, Japan. There we gave them further treatment, which resulted in their complete recovery, although five out of the twenty-two were unfortunately obliged to have their hands or legs operated upon and cut off.
Her Majesty the Empress hearing about these cases has graciously furnished them with artificial limbs. When they had so far recovered, the Japanese Government sent them back to their homes in Russia. The Russian Government sent us a letter of grateful thanks for what we had done, offering, in addition, through the French Consul at Seoul, Korea, to defray all the expenses incurred. As we refused the offer, the Russian Government subscribed 2,000.00 Yen instead to our relief funds, which we accepted with appreciation.
No sooner had we been instructed by the Army to get our two hospital ships, Hakuai Maru and Kosai Maru, in readiness than they were prepared for embarkation. The names of the vessels had been intimated to Russia by the authorities in accordance with the rules of the Hague Convention.
The Hakuai Maru on the 21st of February, and the Kosai Maru on the 25th of the same month, sailed for Ujina, thence forward being continuously engaged in the transportation of the sick and wounded of both belligerents between Japan and different ports in Korea and Manchuria.
The increase in the number of the sufferers has naturally kept pace with the progress of the war and in consequence nine more hospital ships had to be prepared in which twenty-one relief detachments of our Society are now working under the direction of an Army surgeon. On land, we have already dispatched over eighty-two relief detachments to districts where they are required in Korea and Manchuria and also to the hospital of both Army and Navy at home. Several of these detachments are solely engaged in caring for the Russian prisoners.
It may be well to state that one relief detachment consists of
2 Surgeons