THE QUAKERS ARE READY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 49, 6 May 1942, Page 6

THE QUAKERS ARE READY

FOR THEIR SECOND INVASION OF EUROPE By A. Ruth Fry British and American Quakers, or the Society of Friends as they call themselves, have now under survey the service which they will be able to give the Empire in reconstruction. To-day small groups of Quakers are to be found on the Continent in France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These were m a in! y established' as a result of our relief activities after the last Avar, and they maintain their actiA'ities despite the present one.

Already last November, under the aegis of the American Friends, 10,000 babies Averc receiving milk through clinics in France: 750 children were in colonies: 50,000 children were getting supplementary meals.

The' invasion of the Continent, the goodwill invasion, has in fact begun. So it was in tlie last war, an invasion then of nine devastated countries by doctors, nurses, builders, farmers, teachers and men and women ready to help in every possible way. The Avorkers, their goods and living quarters, all bore the black and red star invented by their forerunners, the Quakers who helped in similar work during the Fran-co-German War cf 1870.

Thc first pioneers could make no detailed plan. They Avent to France early in October 1911, to find the work that wanted doing, and do it. their particular concern the rehabilitation of the civilian Avar victims.

They helped, Avhoever they could, irrespective of nationality, crecd or politics, but always A\'itli the desire to express friendship to individuals From small beginnings groAvth Avas rapid. A central office in London selected and equipped personnel, purchased and despatched stores, publicised the Avork collected funds, co-

Operating Avith ;l siiiiilar office in Philadelphia.

The work continued for ten years during Avhich about 1,000 Kngiish and 700 American men and WGmen took part. Probably millions, of people were helped. £1,500,000 Avcre receiA T ed in the London office (£l,000,000 a day during the Russian Famine) and about half a million

pounds Avorth of goods. Far mere money and goods from other sources, Governmental and philanthropic, w ere ad minist ere d.

A typical centre was that at Ser-aize-les-Bains in France, where a

hotel housed 400 refugees from the nearby destroyed village a family crowded each into a room. The Friends settled down to help and befriend these people, trying to fill the endless gaps in their lives and equipment resulting from war's cruel destruction. Distribution of clothing, schools and occupation for children, handicrafts for growns-ups. were some of the first needs. Then

followed the erection of wooden ,houses distribution of bedding and simple furniture to make the nuc-

leus of homes. These wooden huts were standardised and made by our own amateur builders.

Agriculture obviously had suffered heavily; seeds, animals, machines as well as workers were wanting. The Friends distributed seeds, rab-

bits, farm stock, and themselves worked to thrash, to reap and to sow for the needj' people.

Mcdical needs were attended to by village nurses and doctors and a Maternity Hospital at Chalons-sur-Marne functioned all through, the war and was finally housed in a new building erected as a final gift to France from the Mission. Such all-round help for refugee? was typical of the Friends' work fill over Europe. The most complete reconstruction work was that in ! !:•■ district of Verdun, undertaken at the requestor the French Government after the war. In an area ef '200 square miles 500 Friend workers buiit homes foi 2,100 people. IH-:ds were tilled, medical care given and F> shops serving 5000 families in 200 villages were installed. 6*07,000 pieces of furniture and beds were sold. j The German invasion of Russia in 1915 drove thousands of peasants from their homes. The Friends :.'stablished lie I.])1.]) in one of the neediest districts, that of Buzuluk in the province of Samara (now Kiubishev). With the news of the terrible famine of 1021 British people were eager to help the sufferers whatever political differences divided their countries. took an active part in a National Appeal and international relief under the presidency of Dr. Nansen, and returned to help Buzul.uk again. On a visit I paid tv> TUmiluk in January 1922 I found a land of death, people falling dead in tlie streets..

a vast heap of unburied corpses, children Availing for hunger, as death approached mercilessly, and typhus an ,oA r er-present danger. Transport was so derelict that the journey from Warsaw took ten days each Avay, making sending of supplies most difficult 4 With splendid co-operation and help from the Soviet Authorities the English Friends organised 900 feeding centres in 280 villages, the Americans many more in an adjacent area. In Poland typhus Avas so rife, that the unpleasant and dangerous task of fighting it Avas undertaken by the de-lousing of the people, their clothes and houses. Relief Avas given, seeds Avere distributed, industries started, doctors and nurses gave their help. 1100 Army horses Avere obtained and ploughing for the people organised by the Mission. In the Avinter the horses hauled timber for the peasants to build huts to replace their miserable dug-outs.

During the Avar Friends had helped Germans in England, and by February 1919 permission Avas obtained to export gifts to GermanyLiebesgaben, gifts of love, as they were called. In IS months about 871 tons of a value of £127,855 Ave re despatched besides private parcels.

Relief workers went to German}' as soon as possible and showed their sympathy in many Avavs. Depotswere started where food and clothing were sold below cost price. In co-operation with University authorities feeding for students in 31 Universities and Technical schools was supplemented. Throughout Germany the American Friends had organised feeding for the children, "Kwaker-speisung" as it Avas known. Nearly 80,00(1 children were 1 being fed in 1921, the English Friends co-operating in the Cologne are?;. In Austria the tragedy of Vienna was heartbreaking. When an egg cost the equivalent of IS/- and onegood restaurant meal Aveuld exhaust the salary of a General, living became a nightmare. Here again the system of depots Avas introduced for sale far beknv cojf; price of rations for the most unciernuUr.iwhet! children. In 1921 over 64,000 children received tliese. Clothing too was distributed, more than 500 coavs Avere imported to revive the deteriorated breed and Land Settlements were helped and encouragedHelp Avas also extended to Hungary": internment camps and prisons were visited and children sent away for holidays. To-tlay again there is a Friends' War Victims: Relief Committee and a Friends' Ambuiance Unit. At the moment the former is working here in England, rescuing bravely in air raids and maintaining more than 40 hostels for eA'acuated people, young and old.

Members of the Friends' Ambulance Unit are .scattered over the world, some doing relief work at liome; some taken prisoner and interned in Germany cr Greece. Some are on the Burma Road and in China: some in the Middle East. All over our devastated earth a new generation is gaining experience to serve the world in reconstruction/ American Friends and those Quaker Groups on the Continent of Europe will wish- to share that service. The need will be immeasurable; we can only hope hy devotion and experience to play our nart in building the' world afresh. The Quakers are ready.