THE WAR AND THE ARMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 3

THE WAR AND THE ARMY

Sir,—Another army has joined' the ■Q- ti, a * the , f r° nt -' ''Field-Marshal bir John French has expressed his deepest sympathy and approval of the Unirchs army's offer of a fully-equip-ped moveable hospital for service at the, i•<i. * ™ your ooll ™n's last •week that it.is not generally known that the Church Army in England'has a hospital at the front." -Kindly allow me space to say a few words oil *-his. The Church Army was founded in 1881 by the Rev. Wilson Carlile, as the out-come of a desire to help those living in slum areas in London. General Booth also was fired by the same noble ambition, and the two armies are doing their work on about the'same lines: with this, difference, that the. Church Army is a branch of the Church of England work among the poor, the Bishop <>f London occasionally marches with them to their ."open-airs," and gives the advice_ "Don't be too respectable."' Ihe donations amount to over a quarter of a-million of money a year, and are spent among the poorest of all. Ihe Army has ,120 labour, homes, and agencies for tho outcast. Two thousand evangelists and mission sisters are continually being trained, many of these have gone to the front, as they dium tho Boer: War. There are 800 social workers and 68 mission vans always itinerating in the dioceses of England and Wales ' Half of those staying thirteen weeks in labour homes find a fresh start in life, thousands being sent to Canada,- 90 per cent., of'whom turn out well,, and are a credit to the-1 training and care they received in the Army homes. While acknowledging tho receipt of a donation from the WeberChurch Black Wool Fund, the • secretary from headquarters writes, under "late September 4,-. 1914:—"The gift has ■reached us at a time' of. special • crisis; and is a source of great encouragement to our workers at this very difficult moment. ... ...The people.of this country are most remarkably calm. ' There is, and has been, no, panic, but the whole nation is most earnestly determined to seo things through to the desired end. The hour is a terribly dark one; but to those of us engaged' in Christian work there is great encouragement in ,ihe fact that our people seem to be calmly assured that tho "right will conquer might," and that the Great Weaver will gather up the broken threads and -weave Europe.into a peaceabiding Continent."

By mail leaving on November 13 we sent to the Church Army £28 from the district of Weber. This will purchase more than 10,000 Jd. bread tickets from the Army, which are given to policemen and slum workers to distribute, "or are purchased by the charitably disnos«d and given away. By the liberal subsidising of the 'Army this £25 will gladden 10,000 hearts, for each ticket entitles the holder to bread and soup night and nwruing and a "shakedown," and work . the following morning to those willing to do it, before a third meal is given. It is necessary to do this to weed out loafers. The tickets are given in at the door of a home named "King Edward's Labour Tents,' , the late 'King having given a sum of money to the Rev. W. Carlile to start this refuge for destitute single men, who desire to make a, new start in life, and "Queen Alexandra's Labour Tents" were started by her at iho samo time to help stranded married men. Those who aro willing to work are kept at tho various homes, where work is given, and then are drafted to tho workshops or training farms of tho Church Army, to bo fitted for colonial life, This ie truly a national work, for ovory poreon taken away from tho surroundings of

London life and sent to the Empire's colonies is an%issot to the Enipire. The fanners of tho Weber district for four .years have generously given their-black or odd wool to this deserving object, thereby keeping thirteen poor peoplo during that period. This is our fifth season. We'hear from headquarters in London that in consequence of tho war and the influx of the Belgian refugees thorp'will be ■ unexampled, dis-1 tress this winter, therefore we sent £25' to reach Homo for , 10,000 Christmas dinners, hoping to send another £% by the end of shearing. There are so many good Sdmaratins in New Zealand just now who have helped the nation in its crisis by donations to different patriotic funds that I am afraid they will say "This is an extra I" But as we have benefited thousands already by this fund, and' given thousands a chance of- a now start in life,. I trust, your readers -may say it is not an extra, but a friend that I will send a small postal 1 note to, or donate a fleece of wool.; Each fleece, will give lneals to about 150 people by this liberal method of subsidy. Messrs. Williams and Kettle, merchants, of Napier and Dannevirke, receive and." sell wool free of chargo for this national object..— I am, etc., F. W. WHIBLEY, . N.Z. Secretary for the Church Army. The Vicarago, Weber, H.B.