URGENT APPEAL FOR FUNDS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22652, 6 March 1939, Page 2

URGENT APPEAL FOR FUNDS

DISTRESSED SPANIARDS ONE LOAF A DAY FOR FOUR MEN An urgent appeal for funds to assist distressed Spaniards is made in a letter that been received in Christchurch' from Sister Mary Lowson, l^ de .i9^tei# Ustralian nursijlg divivisited Christchurch :.lßst year onrjl tour of the Dominion on behalf of the Spanish Medical Aid Committee. Writing from Perpignan. France, after leaving 'Barcelona, Sister Lowson said there would be hundreds of thousands of Spanish children in France. “I wonder if the New Zealand people could continue their support of these poor little unfortunates here. I have seen so much misery lately that at times I feel my brain cannot register any more scenes. Hundreds of thousands are still sleeping in the open. As the weather is fine, they have only the cold to contend with. We bad some wet days, and it made their conditions appalling. Their blankets, their only shelter, soon became saturated. The children developed colds and became feverish. “At first many thousands were without medical attention; many of the wounds became gangrenous from neglect. Now the services are becoming organised, but we need money for supplies and food; at the moment they are being fed, and that is aIL After their frightful experiences—many of the convoys were bombed and people killed or injured on the way—they need more attention than we can give them without continued support of our friends. "At the camps, they have bread, milk, and rice soup. If possible, it would be good to give them potatoes, bacon, and vegetables. We took some out to a camp yesterday. They are also needing shelters—the English took out three large tents, which are being used for children and supplies. The Quakers are supplying milk and bread for one group. Some of the wounded men have gone to hospitals in the country, which are under the control of religious sisters. They are being well treated. “The conditions in some of the camps are appalling. One loaf of bread a day between four men is the only food they get. To-day I have helped to arrange a hospital for 200 people. We can have many more in this building if we can arrange the finance. At least they are in shelter, with medical attention if necessary. Many men are dying each day, without any attention whatever at present.”