U.N. APPEAL FOR CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26159, 8 July 1950, Page 2

U.N. APPEAL FOR CHILDREN

WORK OF EMERGENCY FUND TALK BY FIELD OFFICER “Never in the history of the world has there been such a major welfare project for children alone,” said Mrs Grace B. Holmes, when she spoke last evening on the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. Mrs Holmes is a fie7d officer of the fund and is assisting in conducting the United Nations appeal for children in New Zealand. “As time goes on you will realise the value of your gifts,” Mrs Holmes said. New Zealand was second in the world for voluntary contributions to the children’s fund. Only Iceland had made a greater contribution. The organisation also brought a great deal of the material for relief from New Zealand, she said. This material included wool, shark liver oil, soap, and tinned meat. “We cannot do anything more than merely scratch the surface, but I cannot tell you how much an inspiration your help has been to us. I think you are great internationalists,” Mrs Holmes continued. The narcotics group and the children’s fund were the two areas of agreement between the Russians and the western group, Mrs Holmes said. “The Russians love their children as much as we do ours,” she said. Mrs Holmes advised her listeners not to worry too much about the progress of the work in Communist-dominated countries. “The work there may be diminished, but we will try to help them as long as they need help,” she said. An appeal for the fund was recently concluded in Canada. Mrs Holmes read a message written by a Canadian schoolboy for the occasion. The message said: “Millions of children in the world to-day have been robbed of the sacred intangible of childhood. There are no day dreams of life to come where the days and nights are not haunted with want, where warmth and shelter alone are dreafns. Give them food and make them well, not only physically, but with a sense of safety. Give back to these millions of prematurely old small people their daydreams. Make them children again before it is too late.” Before Mrs Holmes’s talk a film. “For All the World’s Children,” was shown. This dealt with the work of UNICEF in Europe and Asia. “Wherever and whenever UNICEF gives aid it gives it without regard to race, colour, creed, or political belief,” said the commentary.