Minutes

              SPANISH MEDICAL AID COMMITTEE
Minutes of meeting held on 8th February 1939 at 24 New Oxford Street, W.C.
PRESENT: Lord Faringdon (Chairman), Miss N. Adam, Mr. T. Blewitt, Mr. C.H. Norman, Dr. H. Joules, Mr. R. Calder, Mrs. L. Manning, Dr. S.W. Jeger, Mr. N. Wiggins, Mr. G. Jeger.
Apologies were received from:-  Professor J. Marrack, Mr. W. Lockyer, Dr. J. Gillison.
MINUTES of previous meeting, held on February 1st were confirmed and signed with a verbal alteration.
1) MATTERS ARISING:
a) Further consideration was given to the case of Mr. Boulka and his child, and it was agreed that if the necessary clothing and equipment for the child had been paid for in full, then 10/- per week be allowed to the foster-parent for a month.     If these articles had not yet been paid for or if they had been secured by the hire purchase system with a balance still unpaid, then the payment is to be increased to £1.0.0. a week.     In the meantime, the Dependants' Aid Committee should be asked to undertake responsibility.
b) Mr. Hole had written regarding the Dieppe Accident,  stating that according to information he has received from the C.S.I., it would appear that the Insurance Company will accept liability for the damages resulting from the accident, but that he is awaiting further details from the French lawyer to whom he has written.
c) Information had been received from Mr. Poole regarding the convoy of five lorries and their safe arrival at the frontier. Our personnel were engaged there on relief work after having delivered the food to the refugees in Spain.
Mr. Poole asked that an allowance be sent to his wife during his absence, and it was agreed that £2.0.0. a week be sent to her.
d)    Information had been received from Mr. Fernandez Shaw that the Standard Parcels Scheme for the Spanish Government does not operate in Madrid.     It was therefore decided to take no action with regard to the request previously received to send food to individual doctors there.
e)    Medical Unit for Refugees.    In view of the change in the situation in Catalonia, it was agreed that we rescind the resolution of the 1st February to form a new Medical Unit, and that instead we ask Miss Davson to ascertain from the Sanidad what they would like us to do, and to offer them our co-operation and assistance as hitherto, including the establishment of an office in Valencia, and the transfer of all medical personnel recently evacuated from Catalonia to the central zone.     Further, that we take steps to advertise our action and the need for supplies in the Central Zone.
3) The Autochir, Miss King (radiographer), Nurse Organ and Mr. Smyth (driver-electrician), were interviewed and gave an account of their experiences in the retreat from Tarragonna.     They told how they had been moved out of hospital as the Fascists were entering at the other end of the village, and that the hospitals had been very well evacuated in most cases so that there were no wounded left behind, and consequently there was no work left for them to do.     This, however, was not the case at Mataro, which fell before the hospitals could be cleared, and many wounded men and Spanish doctors and nurses were left behind.
Their vehicles had been left in Spain intact under instructions from