In the inquiries which followed, it was clearly shown that the
evil was in reality that worst of all evils-- one which has been
caused by nothing in particular and for which no one in
particular is to blame. The whole organisation of the war machine
was incompetent and out of date. The old Duke had sat for a
generation at the Horse Guards repressing innovations with an
iron hand. There was an extraordinary overlapping of authorities
and an almost incredible shifting of responsibilities to and fro.
As for such a notion as the creation and the maintenance of a
really adequate medical service for the army-- in that atmosphere
of aged chaos, how could it have entered anybody's head? Before
the war, the easygoing officials at Westminster were naturally
persuaded that all was well-- or at least as well as could be
expected; when someone, for instance, actually had the temerity
to suggest the formation of a corps of Army nurses, he was at
once laughed out of court. When the war had begun, the gallant
British officers in control of affairs had other things to think
about than the petty details of medical organisation. Who had
bothered with such trifles in the Peninsula? And surely, on that
occasion, we had done pretty well. Thus, the most obvious
precautions were neglected, and the most necessary preparations
were put off from day to day.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182