RELIEF MILLIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 3 (Supplement)

RELIEF MILLIONS.

WORK OF RED CROSS. Officers' and Nurses' Homes In Middle East. British Oftici.i 1 Wirolpss. RUGBY, March I lie Duke of Gloucester's TTcd Cross and M. .loh n Fund h;is „ ow ~a ~ ed I £0.000.000 mark. Tins s,„„' ha! been tailed in IS months, j.nd despite hvjher | a .vat ion and the competition of the Spitlire tund and the air raid distress fund. ft exceeds the amount raided in r ' Cl ' iod hl>t • vear h . v almost I A-1.^.(0,000. Lord llilTe. revealing this at the lialfycarlv meeting nf the executive cm.unittee of ti.e Dike's fund, added that it was hoped to raise a further £-2,000.000 by the beginning of September. Another speaker stater] that of thtotal received about .£4,200.000 had been all pa.n spent, mainly on the purchase of stores now dispersed among over 100 depots throughout the country. About .C 1.000.000 has been devoted to 100.l and romfortis for pri.-oners of war. r«. is the aim of the parcels deportment to establish a reserve of 320,000 jtoreels within easy accn.-* of lleneva in ease nf a temporary blinking of the channels of distribution. Ambulances and other motor vehicles accounted for a further A.'2,"0.000 and £104,000 lifls licen spent, on equipment for eonvdlcseent homes of which 147 are now open. 50 are. nearing completion and a total of 300 is aimed at. Allocations to country branches and to Scotland has accounted for jC32.-i.oofi and £.500,000 respectively. Field-Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode. enairmau of the excutite eoniuiittee. speaking of the varied character of the demands made upon the Red Cross, said that in the past few days they had received a request from Sir Archibald W avell, through tie Red Cross commissioner in the Middle East, asking whether they could set up convalescent homes for officers and nurses in th ■ Middle East. Their reply \\<is that they would immediately set up one home at Cairo, one at Alexandria and <u.p in Palestine. They would like, in addition, to establish similar homes for other ranks. Response to Greek Appeals. Ho added that Another appeal tliey' could not.refuse came from the (/reek' Government, askinrr for help for 40.000 persons left homeless by the J/irissa earthquake. To this they immediately responded and the Greek Red Cross had gratefully acknowledged the prompt help. Apart from the Duke of Gloucester".-, fund statement, the chief nows of war effort contributions comes from Canada ajid Xigeria. Cher £1.7.10.000 in war savings stamps and certificates was purchased in the first 22 days of CanadaV war campaign. It is believed the objective of £2,j00,000 worth monthly will be exceeded. Nigeria's win-t.he-war fund was brought to £.10.000 by a fourth instalment of £5000.