25 OCTOBER 1940, Page 14

REFUGEE . NURSE Sta,—There is an urgent need for nurses to

give essential help now. The long-foreseen state of emergency has arrived. at last. Yet Austrian and German refugee nurses are not allowed to work. Our hands are tied. Even if we sometimes get jobs as private nurses we have to wait very long until we get the permission to start work. (Unfortunately our sick patients then do not want help any more as they have died in the meantime.) We do not mind doing any kind of work, we are not afraid of cbing assistant nurses' duties, although we are trained and experienced for years. We feel silly hanging about and doing nothing and getting unemployment assistance already for months.

Why can we not be of active help to the country which gave us refuge and shelter when the same people who are bringing terror and sorrow to your people now destroyed our homes and families in Austria and Germany long ago? If we are not trusted why not let us work under control? I do not think it is so difficult to organise such a controlled nurses' army.—Yours faithfully, R. L., Trained Nurse.