Letter

              SPANISH MEDICAL AID COMMITTEE
24 NEW OXFORD STREET
W.C.1
Telephone: HOLborn 0605
President: Dr. CHRISTOPHER ADDISON
Chairman: Dr. H.B. MORGAN
Treasurer: Viscountess HASTINGS 
Professor MARRACK 
Viscount CHURCHILL
Hon Secretary: Dr. CHARLES BROOK, L.C.C.
2nd November 1936.
Sir Walter M. Citrine, K.B.E.
National Council of Labour,
Transport House, Smith Sq.
S.W.1.
Dear Sir Walter,
I have to thank you for your letter.
At the beginning of last month I was in Paris and Mr. Stolz took me to see a representative of the Spanish Government who was dealing specifically with the co-ordination of medical aid. He impressed upon me the need of an additional British Medical Unit for service in Spain. He put forward two alternatives. 1. A small Unit to go to Oviedo, but he regarded this as being too risky an undertaking. 2. A larger Unit of approximately 25 people to go to Alicante and from there proceed as near as possible to Madrid.
Appreciating the tremendous responsibility that would fall on my Committee if the 2nd Unit was to be organised, I asked Mr. Stolz if we could be assured of substantial financial assistance from the Solidarity Committee. Mr. Stolz assured me that if the Unit was organised such assistance would be forthcoming.
On my return to London I reported these facts to my Committee and as a result it was agreed that a 2nd Unit should be immediately constituted.
Medical and surgical equipment, stores and clothing, to the value of £1,500. was purchased, and Mr. Stolz kindly arranged the purchase of 4 Renault ambulances, costing £1,035., a remittance for which was sent to him last week.
After all the preparations were complete, and after the drivers of the 4 ambulances had left for Paris we were advised that no further medical personnel were required by the Spanish Authorities. We had then no alternative but to abandon our complete scheme.