The Hospital Ship Maheno and influenza quarantine - 1919

Empty beds on the hospital ship `Maheno'. Photograph taken by John Dickie during World War I. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23179980

As I write this blog the world is in various states of quarantine for Covid-19.  Today's media audiences are wanting political leadership in the face of the disease and simultaneously expressing scepticism about the motives of that leadership.

In 1919 the world faced another pandemic, and the Hospital Ship Maheno was caught up in it.  Soldiers who had faced the rigours of WWI now faced the risk of a dangerous strain of influenza.

As I tidied the attached text on Trove, I was aware that I may have passed over this a few months ago, and yet in our own pandemic it seems strangely prescient.

The following appeared in the Albany Advertiser of Wednesday 15 January 1919

MUCH has to be accepted without question in the matter of quarantine. That is admitted. The medical advisers of the Government define what is necessary in the public interest, and the professional officers of the department see that the regulations imposed are carried out. It is not for individuals to reason why, but to submit to the restrictions placed on them with a ready acquiescence and manifest a desire to co-operate with the authorities in every possible way. This also is admitted. But when the necessity arises to make quarantine so general on the coast as it is at the present time, it is surely only due to the intelligence of the people that less mystery should be made, and more consistency should be dis-played by those in charge of the arrangements. Above all, it is essential to the peace of mind of the community that no cause should be given for suspicion of political juggling in the conduct of the business. Albany, as an important port on one of the main ocean trade routes of the world, is equipped with accommodation for quarantine purposes on an extended scale, and is consequently very much interested in what is going on, and the towns-people behind the port are entitled to just as much consideration in the circumstances as those behind Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. The fact that they are fewer in numbers does not warrant discrimination against them. That, is where the distrust of political influence comes in. And if there are misgivings locally on this score the authorities are entirely to blame for them. Experience with the unfortunate transport Boonah started this distrust. The Boonah returned to Fremantle with pneumonic influenza on board, and anchored in the open roadstead to land her patients and local contacts at Woodman's Point. She wanted coal to take her on to the Eastern States, but excitement rose to fever heat ashore as to the danger she was to the good people of Fremantle, and no effort was made to take her in the harbour for it. A period of indecision on the part of the authorities followed, and when finally the Returned Soldiers' Association took a hand in the interest of the men remaining on board, the steamer weighed anchor and ran for Albany. Here, without hesitation, she entered the harbour, and overtures were made for shore labor to supply her bunkers. It is obvious that but for the row in Perth and Fremantle the Boonah would have entered the harbour there and sought to coal. That she did not do so, and did here what public opinion prevented elsewhere established for all time the fact that the authorities are willing; to treat this port in a way they do not dare treat a port with a bigger vote behind it. The lumpers at Albany saved the situation by refusing to coal the Boonah unless fully secured against possible contingencies, and the boat coaled herself. The next doubtful visitor was the New Zealand hospital ship Maheno, which, although apparently a clean ship, arrived from the Dominion before the quarantine period had expired. Nevertheless, shore labor was asked to deliver the coal on board, while the trimming was done from within. As in the case of the Boonah, this was said to be a perfectly safe process, but the men declined to proceed because of the inconsistency manifested by the authorities in their changing attitude. Complications similar in character have arisen over the steamers War Armour and Malta, both of which are still in harbour in strict quarantine. Now, in the case of these vessels, there is no certainty that perfect isolation has been secured, and if that is so, why is discrimination of the kind shown? In the first place there are not enough medical men in the town to cope with the work and offer absolute security to the town. The authorities in this regard are displaying especial carelessness, for the least the community can expect is that the very few private medical practitioners in its midst shall be disassociated for the time being with quarantine work. It is all very well for a Government department to say that every precaution is being taken, when merely casual observation proves the contrary, and it is small wonder that public confidence is failing. This, of course, applies to vessels known to be infected. There is no danger in their case of shore labor being implicated. But there is another kind of ship to be considered, and that is the ship apparently clean, but open to suspicion because she is not sufficiently long out from an infected port to be absolutely safe. What is wanted, in such cases, is a better understanding with shore labor, so that the men's services may bc secured and the men's interests protected. The community, as well as the men, would be glad to see an intelligent agreement reached. Much time would be saved if a quarantine battalion of workers were formed, under reasonable guarantee, on a voluntary basis. Such a step has everything to re-commend it, and it is surprising the authorities have not seen fit to so organise the labor of the port. During the nest few weeks many ships within the time limit may be expected, and some such plan is essential to the safe conduct of the business of the port. In any case the people of Albany have no great reason to be satisfied with the measures taken for their protection.