TORPEDOED SHIPS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6976, 15 February 1918, Page 3

TORPEDOED SHIPS.

_^ Assisting the Men.

The General Secretary of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, London, baa forwarded us the following state • ment for publication:—

"As some misunderstanding lias arisen on the part of newspaper correspondents concerning the work of my Society, which ia the oldest organisation for seafarers, may 1 state the following facts: — ' 1. When we claim that, among other activities, we have this year alone assisted some 17,000 victims of Gernnn phacy, the claim is in absolute gccordacce with the facia. If needs b.3, we can produce our records and supply the evidence. 2, Thi j claim based upon work done, conveys no imputation th; st kindred societies are not doing work equally exceller-t. Indeed, our own staff have now and then co-operated heartily with cither s.oc'eties and hopa tv be permitted to do so sgaiu, ; o. Under present cotditions a little overlapping i?, I am afraid, inevitable. We avoid it whenever we can, but*when this merciful work needs doifg, onu when JiObccly else is doing it we step ir. Need w« uiter any apology for doifig so? •i. A suggestion bss been tnsds that we should attend tv the niornl and spiritual welfare of sailors. We are doing that but we slso consider the fact that the sailor id o creature of flush and blood- Hence when bo etep* ashore sbiveri?'R ami slaivr g■ we clothe him cud feacl him, we doctor him and nurse bUn buck to life; then we pay his' fare ard j ser.d him rejoicing Uime. In I doiufe fo we expect tbst> we arc pro- \ sooting bis moral and spiritual wel fare in w very v-sctLcal sort of way, and, of cjui>t. we nevvr eetul out | claims to anybody for Uib cervices I thus remit red. ! 5. Mv Sfcck't}1 is fuD.v rccc^'.iibfd hy \ the jmth'jritJte and onLy Una wee-U we i'havi- received fiuti) tb*1- Liadi' cf Ih.e I Aduiiialty a letter ol" Lhanks in ver^ i tmndseffie terms for our eeivicf-B io itbe men of 11. M.S. Drake to say no- ! thing of re any ancther bravo snip in i His &!ajes:y*3 seivice. We are etiefly ! ftjßceroed about gettir.c the work \ done. Neve: txiind who gats the credit | fjr it." '