As regards finance, the groups made it a point of honour to collect funds to meet all local expenses, and it was only on rare occasions that help was demanded of Berne. The usual machinery, such as bazaars, subscriptions, etc., was set in motion at each centre with satisfactory results, and in the main the funds so collected sufficed for all needs, a fact which speaks well for the generosity of the public, both British and Swiss.
Lady Rumbold took over the Presidency from Lady Grant Duff in September, 1916, and assumed direction for the duration of the war. Both ladies would, I believe, like me to place on record the names of the Group Presidents, on whom the success of the enterprise so much depended. Their wives in most cases undertook the work of management:—
| Berne | Monsieur de Muralt (Central Group). | |
| Montreux | Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Cuenod. | |
| Vevey | Lieut.-Colonel and Mrs. Gillespie. | |
| Lausanne | Mr. and Mrs. Galland. | |
| Geneva | Monsieur and Madame de Candolle. | |
| Zürich | (1914) | Sir Henry Angst. |
| (1915-17) | Sir Cecil Hertzlett. | |
| (1917-18) | Mr. and Mrs. Beak; Miss Mackie, Hon. Secretary. | |
| Lucerne | Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Stronge, Mrs. Hauser. | |
| Lugano | (1914) | Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. |
| (1916) | Colonel and Mrs. Boileau. | |
| Bâle | (1914) | Mr. Hamblock. |
| (1915-17) | Mr. and Mrs. Beak. | |
| (1917) | Mr. and Mrs. Mathews. | |
| St. Gall | Mr. Hurdwyn Gastrell. | |
| Neuchâtel | (1914) | Monsieur et Madame Chable. |
| (1916) | Monsieur Favre; Miss Wright, Hon. Secretary. | |
| Davos | Mr. and Mrs. Lockett. | |
| St. Moritz | Dr. and Mrs. Holland. |
I should also like to add the names of my wife, who, as Hon. Treasurer, organized the Financial Department at Berne as well as the Supply Depôt for the Interned; Comtesse de Montigny, in charge of the Clothing Department, 1915-1917, and succeeded, later, by the late Mrs. Cook Daniels and Lady Beatrix Wilkinson; Viscountess St. Cyres, in charge of the "orders" Department, 1917-1918; and my daughter, who was Hon. Secretary, 1916-1918, until her departure.
A "Special Branch," as an adjunct to the "B.L.R.C.O.," was founded in May, 1916, to deal with the requirements of officers and men about to be interned in Switzerland, the original Committee being composed of Lady Grant Duff, The Lady Acton, Mrs. Picot (Hon. Treasurer), Mrs. Wyndham, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Trench, Mrs. Harran, Miss R. Picot (Hon. Secretary), and myself as President.
The first contingent of British prisoners of war from Germany was expected in May, 1916, and arrangements were at once made to prepare warm underclothing for the men, as there was some doubt as to the clothing from G.H.Q. in France arriving in time to meet the demand. The work carried out by the Consular Groups made it possible to have in readiness complete outfits of shirts, vests, pants, socks, pyjamas, handkerchiefs, and linen wash-bags for 500 men, all of which were issued when the troops arrived. Dressing-gowns, bed-jackets, ward slippers, and handkerchiefs, were also made up and issued to the hospitals. The contingents which arrived in August and December of 1916, and on subsequent dates, were supplied with the regulation clothing by Government, though hospital requisites still continued to be provided by the "B.L.R.C.O.," with the assistance of the British Red Cross Society, London. That Society generously came to our assistance with medicines, and supplies of a fortifying nature, and such extra articles of food as were required were purchased locally by the Swiss medical officers at the camps, money grants, which were renewed as required, being made to these officers.
The "B.L.R.C.O." also fitted up an operating theatre in the Soldanelle Hospital at Château d'Oex, known as the Kitchener Theatre, at a cost of frs. 3,500, the funds being supplied by a Swiss gentleman who wished to remain anonymous.
Thanks to the kind offices of Lord Northcliffe, the B.R.C.S., London, also sent out a parcel of 750 lb. of tea every month, a gift of the greatest value, as tea was unprocurable in Switzerland. It was thus made possible to make a free issue to all hospitals, and to men on detachment, and also to provide tea, on payment, to all Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. huts.
The expenditure incurred for British Interned for Red Cross purposes from May to December, 1916, amounting to frs. 113,000, was entirely met by the "B.L.R.C.O." After that date, the "Central Prisoners of War Committee," London, came to our assistance with a grant of frs. 10,000 per mensem. This grant in aid enabled the Committee to deal more liberally with a branch of work which they, together with myself, had much at heart, viz.: the technical and educational training of the men during their detention in Switzerland. So far, funds had only admitted of the establishment of workshops of the regimental type, such as Tailors, Bootmakers, Carpenters, in addition to schools for Telegraphy, Bookbinding, Typing, Shorthand, Motor Instruction, and classes for education up to the standard required for Army certificates. With the grant in aid the Committee found itself in a position to continue and develop the technical training, until it was taken over by the Central Prisoners of War Committee, under a scheme prepared by Dr. Garnett. Of this scheme I have written at length in Chapter XI.
Another detail undertaken by the "B.L.R.C.O." was that of the entertainment of the wives and mothers of the Interned sent out from England by the "C.P. of W.C." on fortnightly visits. This took the form of luncheons, dinners, and teas, as these visitors passed to and from the camps. They also provided meals at Berne to all prisoners of war en route to Switzerland from Germany, or to England on repatriation. The Consular Groups forming part of the Organization did similar work, and, as a rule, met the expenditure from their own resources.