CANTEENS IN MIDDLE EAST

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23400, 6 August 1941, Page 10

CANTEENS IN MIDDLE EAST

Sir, —I can sympathise with "A Father” for the indignation he felt when reading his letter from the Middle East. Here is an extract from a letter that I received last Friday, dated July 10. "The N.A.A.F.I.' over here control everything, and it is about time something was done about it. They, along with our club, have been selling us tobacco at Is a tin, which was bought out of the funds for distribution to the troops. The reason we know this is that the issued tobacco has a little ticket in each tin to the effect that it is from the people of New Zealand. We now use the Australian canteens as much as possible.” I, along with a lot of other folk, would like to see our lads have different treatment. —Yours, etc., R. E. LOVERSIDGE. August 5, 1941.

Sir, —Your correspondent, “A Father,” would like to have further evidence of gross profiteering and exploitation of our men in Egypt. The following is from my husband’s letter dated June 13. 1941. "Had tea yesterday at the Maadi Tent—some tomato sandwiches and a cake or two. It is rather a good sort of place but there are so many there it takes a long time to get fixed up. I also visited the Y.M.C.A. for the first time yesterday—rather an up-to-date affair with a big notice stating ‘This building was erected and is maintained by the New Zealand Patriotic Fund’— but nothing much to buy except a few stale cakes. . . . Chaps here have bought cigarettes there (the New Zealand Club in Cairo) and also in these N.A.A.F.I.’s in the camp with a note inside saying, ‘With the compliments of the people of Wellington’ or other city. Also, the apples sent over are on sale in the New Zealand Club at two for an acker—about Ud each. So what do you think?” I sincerely trust “A Father” will take the matter up.—Yours, etc., SOLDIER’S WIFE. August 5, 1941.