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25
without the sanction of the Medical Officer of Health of their district. To
each Medical Officer of Health concerned I wrote a short résumé of the above
facts.
In cases where blankets had been sent to the Colonies and other places
abroad, notice was given to the representatives of the respective Governments.
Three days later I received a letter from the Under-Secretary of State for
War, informing me that Mr. Brodrick was causing an immediate enquiry to
be instituted into the circumstances attending the disposal of the blankets in
question, and in a further letter dated the 25th May the Under-Secretary
said :—
"I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to explain
"that the blankets in question appear to have been disposed of while in
"South Africa, contrary to the Standing Regulations of this Department
"and contrary to certain specific orders as to the disposal of textile
"fabrics and kindred articles, which had been sent to the military
"authorities with the object of avoiding the spread of infection.
"Mr. Brodrick desires me to say that he very much regrets the
"circumstances, which, primâ facie, appear to have been caused by the
"disregard of both ordinary precautions and his special instructions, and
"at the same time to convey his assurance that the investigation he has
"promised will be alike thorough and complete.
"Meantime he has directed instructions to be dispatched to South
"Africa to cause any similar blankets that may still be in the hands of
"local purchasers to be destroyed as infectious."
On the 8th June, 1903, the Secretary of State for War made an official
explanation in the House of Commons as to how these blankets were offered
for sale to the public.
Mr. Brodrick said,* in reply to a question by Sir Thomas Dewar:—
"The General Officer Commanding South Africa reports that in
"October last, owing to the rapid demobilisation of the troops, an
"enormous stock of unwashed general service blankets, returned to
"store by the troops on demobilisation, was stored at the Cape Town
"Ordnance Stores, stacked in the open under tarpaulins. Efforts were
"made to have these washed and properly stored, but meanwhile the
"stacks took fire by spontaneous combustion and endangered the entire
"Ordnance Dep6t. Prompt action became imperative, and the chief
"ordnance officer gave instructions for large numbers of those in the
"worst condition to be destroyed by fire, and accepted tenders for the
"sale of 80,000, provided they were removed within three days. These
"blankets were not unserviceable, though they had not been washed.
* Hansard.